14 Dec November Athletic Footwear Overview
Highlights from The NPD Group’s Matt Powell follows:
November Athletic Footwear Overview
U.S. athletic footwear sales were better than expected in November, likely driven by the unprecedented promotional environment. The deals over Thanksgiving/Black Friday week were deeper than they were in previous years, and the actual prices in store were even sharper than the ads. It is highly unusual for so many sneakers to be on markdown at this time of year.
The return to more seasonable temperatures also helped sales of cold/all weather boots. Nevertheless, it is likely too late to save the season as many outlets already had boots on deep discount.
Overall, athletic footwear sales for November 2017 grew 5 percent in dollars and 3 percent in units. Despite the heavily promotional landscape, there was a 2 percent increase in average selling price versus November 2016, driven by a change in the overall mix of what is selling.
By Wearer
The women’s market again led the charge with 8 percent dollar sales growth driven by sport leisure, which grew nearly 40 percent. Children’s athletic footwear sales grew by 6 percent, and men’s sales by 3 percent.
By Category
Sport leisure footwear represented about 40 percent of all athletic footwear sold for the month, and sales grew nearly 20 percent.
The woes in performance running continued, even with brands’ new releases. Sales declined by 9 percent.
Basketball sales improved and the decline in sales softened to -3 percent, as the scholastic basketball season kicked off. There is still no sign that performance basketball shoes will be worn as streetwear in the near term.
Cold/all weather boot sales grew by 6 percent for the month, while hiking/trekking footwear declined 7 percent.
By Brand
Nike brand sales declined in November, down in the low single-digits as losses in performance running offset growth in sport leisure. Brand Jordan grew in the low teens due to the sharply increased allocations of retro product. It did not appear that the key releases sold out as they had previously. Converse sales declined in the high teens. Overall Nike, Inc. sales were about flat for the month.
Adidas had an outstanding month, with sales up more than half. Its share grew more than 300 basis points to 10 percent.
Brooks had another strong month, with sales up nearly 20 percent, while the other technical running brands struggled.
Skechers and Puma sales declined, as did Under Armour as gains in running could not offset losses in basketball.
UGG boots grew 17 percent for the month. Timberland and Keen grew in the high single-digits, while Merrell and The North Face both posted declines. Columbia footwear grew in the mid-teens.
Top-Selling Athletic Footwear Items for November (ranked by dollars): JORDAN XI, JORDAN XII, Nike TANJUN, Chuck Taylor OX Low, Nike AIR HUARACHE, LEBRON SOLDIER XI, Adidas TUBULAR SHADOW, JORDAN 11 HEIRESS, Nike KYRIE 3, Nike FLEX CONTACT
| The NPD Group’s U.S. Athletic Footwear Industry Sales | |||
| Reporting Period November 2017 versus November 2016 | |||
| Dollar Sales | Nov’16 | Nov’17 | CHG |
| Total U.S. Athletic Footwear Sales | $1.4 B | $1.5 B | 5% |
| Men | $695.4 M | $716.2 M | 3% |
| Women | $452.8 M | $488.3 M | 8% |
| Children | $283.4 M | $301.6 M | 6% |
| Brand Performance | Dollar Share | Dollar % Change | |
| November 2017 Top 5 Cold/All Weather Boot Brands | |||
| UGG | 34% | 17% | |
| Sorel | 6% | 14% | |
| Bearpaw | 6% | -2% | |
| Sperry | 5% | 38% | |
| Hunter | 4% | -1% | |
| Copyright 2017. The NPD Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Proprietary and Confidential. | |||
| The information in this report comes from The NPD Group’s monthly point-of-sale footwear database. It is collected from the athletic specialty, sporting goods, chain store, department store, and other channels. | |||
| Athletic footwear includes the following categories: Sport Leisure, Outdoor, Performance, and Work/Occupational/Safety. |
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For more information or to speak with Matt Powell, please contact me at 516-625-2203 or marissa.guyduy@npd.com.