About this report
 
Italy is the fourth-largest retail market in Europe, although given its size and the fact that it is comparatively wealthy, its retail industry is relatively underdeveloped. There are two reasons for this – excessively restrictive planning processes and a substantial gap in wealth between the prosperous north and the depressed south.
 

 
The Bersani Law, enacted in March 1998, was supposed to liberalise Italian retailing, but in practice it made little difference. It is still exceptionally difficult to develop modern large stores, particularly out-of-town, and Italian retailing is still underdeveloped and highly fragmented.
 

 
Sports participation is not particularly high but Italian men are notably football obsessed. But the major problem for the sector and for Italian retailing as a whole is the economy. Italy lurched into recession in 2004 and retail sales in the first five months of 2005 were below the previous year.
 

 
About Mintel’s report
 
Pooling together the latest market analysis and most sort-after trend data, Mintel’s report offers you a fresh and independent understanding of the sector and its retailers. Use Mintel’s research to inform your investment decisions, guide operating strategy, pinpoint areas of potential and to:
 

 
Gain fresh insight into the Italian sports goods market, its value and trends, its channels of distribution and the factors affecting it
 
Identify the market forces that serve to encourage or restrict market growth
 
Explore the market performance of specialist and non-specialist sports goods retailers operating in Italy, including Décathlon, Foot Locker, Giacomelli Sport, Sport 2000 International and INTERSPORT International Corporation
 
Evaluate leading retailer’s retail strategies and their operating strengths and
 
Discover ‘what’s next’ for the Italian sports goods sector with in-depth forecasts put together by Mintel’s skilled analysts.
 
Intriguing findings include:
 
Only just over a quarter of Italian adults actually take part in sporting activity more than once a week after they have left school. Naturally, this proportion tails off steadily with age. But even for a nationally popular sport such as football, the participation rates are quite low.
 

 

Contents
 

 
Executive Summary – Italy
 

 
Market estimated to be worth nearly €4 billion
 
Low spend per capita
 
Sport unpopular
 
Lack of interest in sports fashion
 
Sport losing share of spending
 
Giacomelli pulls market down
 
Fragmented sector
 
Prospects weak
 
Report Scope and Technical Notes
 

 
Technical notes
 
Financial definitions
 
Currencies
 
Figure 1: Exchange rates: National currencies against the Euro, 2002-04
 
Country codes
 
VAT
 
Figure 2: Europe: Standard VAT rates, 2005
 
Other abbreviations
 
Background Data – Italy
 
Population
 
Figure 3: Italy: Population trends, 2000-04
 
Figure 4: Italy: Population, by age group and sex, 2003
 
Figure 5: Italy: Households, by number of members, 1998-2003
 
Figure 6: Italy: Population, by region, 2001-03
 
Figure 7: Italy: Population of major cities, 2001-03
 
Economy
 
Figure 8: Italy: Gross domestic product, 1995-2004
 
Figure 9: Italy: Consumer prices, 1997-2004
 
Figure 10: Italy: Consumer expenditure, 1995-2004
 
Figure 11: Italy: Detailed breakdown of consumer expenditure, 2000-04
 
Sports Goods Retailing in Italy
 
Setting the scene
 
Sports participation
 
Figure 12: Italy: Proportion of population participating in sport or doing some physical activity, 1995-2003
 
Figure 13: Italy: Sports and other physical activity participation by age, 1995 and 2000
 
Figure 14: Italy: Regular participants in sport, 1982-2003
 
Figure 15: Italy: Participation in sporting activities, 2000
 
Figure 16: Italy: Participation in sporting activities, 2003
 
Figure 17: Italy: Participation in physical activities, 2003
 
Figure 18: Italy: Frequency of taking particular types of exercise (times per week), 2003
 
Figure 19: Italy: Response to the statement ‘I do some form of sport or exercise at least once a week’, 2003
 
Sports goods market value and trends
 
Figure 20: Italy: Consumer spending on sports goods, 1999-2004
 
Figure 21: Italy: Sports goods sales as % all retail sales, 1999-2005
 
Figure 22: Italy: Sports spending by product group, 2003
 
Channels of distribution
 
Figure 23: Italy: Sports goods market, sales by distribution channel, 2004
 
The Italian sports specialists sector
 
Sector value and trends
 
Outlet and enterprise data
 
Figure 24: Italy: Toys and sports retailers, performance of larger and smaller stores, 1995-2001
 
Leading Specialists
 
Figure 25: Italy: Leading sports specialists, 2003/04
 
Market shares
 
Figure 26: Italy: Leading specialists’ market shares, 2004
 
Prospects and Forecasts
 
Consumer recession
 
Out of fashion
 
Sports participation rising
 
Sector structure to change
 
Forecast
 
Figure 27: Italy: Sports goods spending, forecasts, 2004-10
 
Figure 28: Italy: Spending on sports goods as % all retail sales, 2000-10
 
Company Profiles
 

 
Décathlon
 
Market share
 
Figure 29: Décathlon: Sales as % of French sports retailers’ sales, 2000-04
 
Figure 30: Décathlon: Sales as % of Spanish sports retailers’ sales, 2000-04
 
Background
 
History
 
Ownership
 
International expansion
 
Figure 31: Décathlon: International expansion record, 1986-2005
 
Differentiation
 
Financial data
 
Figure 32: Décathlon: Financial performance, 2000-04
 
Slowdown in France?
 
Impressive growth abroad
 
Outlets
 
Figure 33: Décathlon: Outlet data, 2000-04
 
Size
 
Layout
 
Services
 
New formats
 
Foreign activities
 
Figure 34: Décathlon: International store numbers, 2001-04
 
Products
 
Authoritative offer
 
Own brand
 
Figure 35: Décathlon: Own label portfolio
 
Design
 
Production
 
Communication
 
Links with athletes
 
Loyalty scheme
 
Online presence
 
Outlook
 
Foot Locker (Europe)
 
Background
 
History
 
International interests
 
Portfolio of fascias
 
Financial data
 
Group
 
Figure 36: Foot Locker Inc: Group financial performance, 2001-05
 
Home shopping
 
Europe
 
Figure 37: Foot Locker Europe: Estimated sales, 2002-05
 
Figure 38: Foot Locker Europe: Estimated sales by selected country, 2004/05
 
UK
 
Figure 39: Foot Locker (UK) Limited: Financial performance, 1999-2003
 
Europe disappoints in second quarter 2005/06
 
Outlets
 
Group
 
Figure 40: Foot Locker Inc: Outlet data, 2001-05
 
Figure 41: Foot Locker: Outlet data by fascia, January 2005 and 2005/06 plans
 
Europe
 
Figure 42: Foot Locker: European store numbers, 2003-05 and store targets
 
UK
 
Figure 43: Foot Locker UK: Outlet data, 1999-2003
 
Products
 
Figure 44: Foot Locker: Target group and product offer by fascia
 
Home shopping
 
Outlook
 
Giacomelli Sport
 
Background
 
History and stock market listing
 
Rescue
 
Financial data
 
Figure 45: Giacomelli Sport: Financial performance, 2000-04 (e)
 
Outlets
 
Products
 
Outlook
 
INTERSPORT International Corporation
 
Market share
 
Figure 46: Intersport: Sales as % of German sports retailers’ sales, 2001-04
 
Figure 47: Intersport: Sales as % of French sports retailers’ sales, 2000-04
 
Figure 48: Intersport: Sales as % of Spanish sports retailers’ sales, 2002-04
 
Background
 
History
 
Figure 49: INTERSPORT: International expansion record
 
Organisation
 
Fascias
 
Buying group benefits…
 
…and disadvantages
 
Financial data
 
Figure 50: INTERSPORT: Group sales performance, 2001-05
 
Performance in selected European countries
 
Figure 51: INTERSPORT: Sales in selected countries, 2003
 
Outlets
 
Figure 52: INTERSPORT: Outlet data, 2001-05
 
Figure 53: INTERSPORT: European outlet data, 2000, 2002 and 2004
 
Figure 54: INTERSPORT France: Selected outlets, 2005
 
Figure 55: INTERSPORT Austria: Outlets, 2004
 
Products
 
Local offer
 
Sourcing
 
Brands
 
Figure 56: INTERSPORT: Own label portfolio
 
Communication
 
Marketing
 
Loyalty programmes
 
Online presence
 
Outlook
 
Sport 2000 International
 
Market share
 
Figure 57: Sport 2000: Sales as % of French sports retailers’ sales, 2000-04
 
Background
 
History
 
Structure
 
Expansion
 
Other deals
 
Key objectives
 
Financial data
 
Figure 58: Sport 2000 International: Retail sales performance by country, 1999, 2002 and 2003
 
Outlets
 
Figure 59: Sport 2000 International: Outlet data, 1999, 2002 and 2003/04
 
Products
 
Figure 60: Sport 2000 International: Own-label portfolio
 
Online presence
 
Outlook