The Development Trend of the Sports Industry in Australia

澳大利亚的体育产品market:

The COVID-19 pandemic has an unprecedented impact on global medical, social and economic conditions. To control the epidemic, most countries/regions enforce lockdowns, forcing people to change their lifestyles. Affected by the epidemic, parks, gymnasiums, and other public sports venues have been closed, and people have been forced to reduce their physical fitness opportunities.

Affected by the natural and cultural environment since childhood, Australians like a variety of outdoor leisure activities, and the average family also pays great attention to various sports activities. Schools or communities in various places often organize local sports clubs, and they are different throughout the year. The sports events can participate. As for ordinary citizens, they also participate in various regional (community) clubs or engage in a variety of sports activities such as golf, tennis, cricket, rugby and swimming, surfing, diving, windsurfing, boating, and other water activities. Australians are not hesitant to spend on health and leisure activities. Apart from their natural passion for sports, most people are overweight, so the various fitness centers in Australia are very popular. Fitness clubs and slimming centers are expanding one by one. And the construction of swimming pools, various sports facilities, and venues continues to increase.

Because Australia’s consumer goods manufacturing industry has always been affected by its domestic industrial development and high labor costs, most of its products on the market are imported from abroad, including leisure sports products and fitness equipment. Its domestic products account for less than 30% of the national market. Most of the products sold in the market still rely on foreign supplies. Except for the bulky swimming pool products, the import ratio is higher than 85% on average.

Overview of the changes in the lives of Australians in the post-epidemic era:

The impact of the epidemic has changed accustomed lifestyles, work patterns, and even interpersonal relationships and interaction patterns; in particular, the measures taken to lock down cities and countries in response to the epidemic have a profound impact on individuals' bodies and minds. The economy is the concern of most Australians in the post-epidemic era. 40% of households are adapting to the decline in income. Among them, the Z generation (born between 1996 and 2012) and the millennial generation (born between 1980 and 1995) are the most affected and have low confidence in the recovery of the economy. The thinking changes of Australians in the post-epidemic era are as follows:

1. More socially conscious values:
   • Products that tend to support local producers/manufacturers
   • Willing to help others through the consumption
2. Changing the focus of life:
   • 巴勒斯坦权力机构y more attention to family life
   • Take into account multiple roles and integrate work, family, and social life
3. 巴勒斯坦权力机构y attention to health and hygiene habits:
   • Adopt a variety of methods to strengthen one's immunity, including more exercise and avoiding the use of public resources
4. More cautious shopping options:
   • Blocking restrictions and changing shopping methods, all product supply, and infection risks must be included in shopping considerations
   • Consumers tend to choose products more carefully to avoid transaction disputes
5. E-commerce:
   • Consumers are forced to switch from physical shopping to online consumption
   • Online consumption makes up for the loss of not being able to go shopping

An overview of the impact of the post-epidemic era on the Australian sports goods market

1. In addition to outdoor activities, most Australians use gyms to exercise. However, due to the epidemic, the gyms have been closed and consumers have switched to simple gyms at home, resulting in a surge in sales of fitness equipment and a 170% increase in sales of fitness equipment, including yoga mats. Weight training kettlebells, barbell plates, dumbbells, etc. are all hot-selling commodities, but the revenue of Australian gyms is declining month by month.
2. Due to the high domestic manufacturing and labor costs in Australia, sports-related products on the market mainly rely on imports, and local products account for less than 30% of the market. Therefore, despite the surge in sales of fitness equipment in Australia, due to the impact of high or delayed overseas manufacturing and logistics costs, the sports goods market will still be subject to considerable impact from 2019 to 2020, and the overall sports goods import value will still be declining. The main imported products are fitness equipment, other sports or outdoor sports products, water skis, surfboards, and other water sports equipment.

Sports goods popular in Australia in the post-epidemic era:

The top three sports products in Australia are water sports/snow sports/skating equipment, fitness equipment, and camping equipment.

1. Water sports, snow sports, and skating equipment: account for 25.1% of the total revenue of the sports goods market. Items include surfboards, water skis, snowboards, snowboards, sleds, skateboards, skates, etc. In the past five years, the sales of this project's products have increased significantly, becoming the item with the largest revenue share in the sports goods market. The report pointed out that in the past, most of the products of this project were used for lease, but as related sports gradually became popular, consumers chose to purchase the equipment on their own, which also led to a high sales rate.
2. Fitness equipment: accounts for 20% of the total revenue of the sports goods market. Including yoga mats, treadmills, exercise bikes, boxing, and weight training equipment, etc., but in the past five years, this project has had a slight decline in the market revenue ratio. Although the revenue of this project increased due to the epidemic in 2020, the suspension of most gyms, coupled with high import logistics costs and other factors, still inhibited the decline in sales growth of the product market.
3. Camping equipment: accounted for 16% of the total revenue of the sports goods market. Including tents, sleeping bags, camping cookware, and other camping accessories. The purchase of camping equipment is usually seasonal, and sales peak during the school summer vacation. In the past five years, the government’s active improvement and investment in camping sites have indirectly stimulated the sales of the project’s products. For example, the Victorian government announced a series of favorable policies, including investing 105.6 million Australian dollars to build and upgrade campsites in the state, waiving camping fees for 500 campsites, and halving camping fees for state and national parks.

Opportunities and transformation suggestions for Taiwan's sports goods industry in the post-epidemic era:

1. For Taiwanese companies who want to have a comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the Australian sports goods market, cooperating with local manufacturers and exchanging information is the most effective method. In addition, the Australian sports equipment product market has a fixed product and marketing model, coupled with the conservative market characteristics, and intending to enter the Australian market, innovative product strategies aimed at local consumption habits will be the key.
2. 健身器材(如跑步机、划船马赫ines, electronic dart targets, high-end inline skates), golf products (clubs, ball heads, ball bags), water sports equipment (foaming surf suits, wetsuits), and fishing gear are the strengths of Taiwan-made products. Although they do not have a high market share in Australia, their quality is quite affirmed. There is also a clear market segmentation from Chinese products that are sold in low-priced mass-market chain stores. The next step for Taiwanese companies interested in expanding the market should be to strengthen their brand awareness. Participating is one of the feasible ways.
3. Due to the small scale of the Australian market, most of the exhibitions have the characteristics of both professional exhibitions and consumer exhibitions. Not only can they contact local distributors, wholesalers, agents, chain operators, but also build a brand image for consumers.