By Claire Moraa
- Women’s sports merch market is suffering from overflowing demand with little to no supply
- For every 90% of sports merchandise dedicated to men, only 10% is dedicated to women
The women’s sports market has come a long way with a remarkable surge of $4 billion. However, even with a burgeoning demand for women’s sports merch, the availability and variety of merchandise remain insufficient. The situation is dire as 60% of women expressed interest in purchasing merch but were unable to because of little to no inventory. This highlights a missed earning potential in the market.
Why This Matters: It’s been a long time since women fought for equity and recognition but once they got it, there’s something holding them back. Women’s sports merch is valued at $4 billion and it’s been a journey of growth. However, while the demand for women’s sports merchandise is growing rapidly, supply is still playing catch-up. The supply chain and production capacities are either to slow or are ignoring this gap in the market because they haven’t fully adapted to this shift. This mismatch can lead to missed opportunities and a need for strategic improvements in how products are offered and marketed. When compared to their male counterparts, this market is far behind.
For instance, for every nine pieces of merchandise for men’s sports, there’s only one for women’s. It’s no secret men’s sport has enjoyed visibility and therefore more investments but the problem is not lack of demand. In fact, fans have expressed their desire to purchase the merch only that the key player are ignoring this segment. At least 79% of fans said they’d purchase women’s sports merch if it was available. So if there was ever a compelling justification to tap into this readily available market, there’s overflowing demand and readiness to purchase.
Situational Awareness: Sports have historically been designed with men in mind, and this approach needs to shift. This imbalance between supply and demand is not only causing challenges for retailers but also representing missed earning potential in the market. From a different lens, if this market is continuously overlooked, the fan base will slowly become disengaged and their loyalty will shift elsewhere. This in turn will lead to reduced visibility and support and before you know it, we’ll be back to square one. Retailers and businesses can work towards bridging the supply-demand gap in the women’s sports merchandise market, fulfilling the needs of female sports fans, and unlocking the full potential of this lucrative market segment.
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