‘Tis the Season for Basketball Footwear

‘Tis the Season for Basketball Footwear

Coinciding with the holiday shopping season, athletic footwear sales increased by 11 percent or $93 million in the five weeks ending December 6, 2014 (Nov. 2 – Dec. 6), with the Basketball category growing 24 percent and contributing $50 million to the increase, according to global information company The NPD Group.

While the category continues to gain momentum, it is changing in terms of price bands. During this time period, 50 percent of all Basketball footwear sold for all wearers was over $100, compared to 35 percent in 2012.

In terms of brand, Brand Jordan took the lion’s share of basketball footwear sales over Thanksgiving week (November 23 – 29), or $28 million out of the $37.3 million grand total. Nearly all ($25 million) of Brand Jordan’s dollar sales came from one shoe: the Jordan IV Retro Mid.

“Basketball footwear is on fire, and it’s the premium price points that continue to drive the market. Sales of Basketball shoes over $100 accounted for nearly all the growth in sales for the period,” said Matt Powell, Vice President, Industry Analysis, for The NPD Group’s Sports and Leisure Trends practice. “I expect the strong basketball trend to continue into 2015 as the largest brands are very focused on controlling inventory. Unrequited demand is keeping interest high on the part of the consumer.”

About The NPD Group, Inc.
The NPD Group provides global information and advisory services to drive better business decisions.  By combining unique data assets with unmatched industry expertise, we help our clients track their markets, understand consumers, and drive profitable growth.  Sectors covered include automotive, beauty, consumer electronics, entertainment, fashion, food / foodservice, home, luxury, mobile, office supplies, sports, technology, toys, and video games.  For more information, visit npd.com and npdgroupblog.com. Follow us on Twitter:@npdgroup.