· Retailers need to cater for an increasingly non-homogenous target market on the basis of both fashion and lifestyle positioning.

· Do women sized 16-plus still feel that they are unlikely to find it easy to find clothes for their size and age range?

· Are there more effective ways to increase the level of impulse purchase among women than currently used?

The world of sports goods retailing is still a diverse and somewhat fragmented one. A raft of acquisitions has created a handful of powerful sports multiple chains, intent on rapid expansion and already showing impressive operating profits. New, and potentially significant entrants, such as supermarkets and Internet retailers (e-tailers) could change the face of sports goods retailing yet again, as they prepare to join the fierce battle for market supremacy.

· Retailers need to cater for an increasingly non-homogenous target market on the basis of both fashion and lifestyle positioning.

· Do women sized 16-plus still feel that they are unlikely to find it easy to find clothes for their size and age range?

· Are there more effective ways to increase the level of impulse purchase among women than currently used?

The world of sports goods retailing is still a diverse and somewhat fragmented one. A raft of acquisitions has created a handful of powerful sports multiple chains, intent on rapid expansion and already showing impressive operating profits. New, and potentially significant entrants, such as supermarkets and Internet retailers (e-tailers) could change the face of sports goods retailing yet again, as they prepare to join the fierce battle for market supremacy.

Mintel last reviewed the market for sports goods retailers in Sports Goods Retailing, Retail Intelligence, June 1999. Although only 18 months ago, the industry has developed apace, during the harshest high street trading environment the retail industry has ever seen.

As for the consumer, active sports participation has generally declined, although there have been increases in some sporting activities such as football and keep-fit/weight training. However, by far the major reason behind the purchase of sports apparel is for leisurewear.

The movement towards larger, edge-of-town/out-of-town stores has been a key trend during 2000. This offers the retailer more floor space on which to display a wider range of goods, and cater for all members of the family. Sourcing and securing such prime locations is now increasingly important for the sports goods retailer and clashes occur when several retailers are all competing for the same space. Location, location, location has never been as important for today's retailers.

Another key trend of 2000 has been the development of the product offering. For some time, the industry has discussed introducing a broader product range for women, and 2000 saw such discussions come to fruition. The majority of sports multiples now view this sector as a major emerging part of their business, and nearly all have plans to expand this area of trading. As part of this report, Mintel has investigated women's attitudes towards buying sports goods and the factors affecting their purchasing decisions and choice of shop.

The key aims behind this report are to:

· establish how the sports goods retailing market has changed since 1999, and the key influences behind such change

· establish the main trends in both the retailing and manufacturing of sports goods

· highlight the major retailers operating in the sports goods environment during 2000

· investigate consumer expenditure patterns and attitudes towards sportswear and how this impacts on retailers

· forecast market conditions over the next two years.

Other Mintel reports of relevance include:

- Special Report, Sports Participation, 2000.