TOPIC

This meeting's topic is Sportswear & Sport Equipment.

Key takeaways

• Hybrid products now account 41% of the category. In the like-for-like cohort, hybrid moved
  from 26% to 44% in a single year, almost entirely at the expense of technical performance
  which fell from 36% to 19%. Newstores' John Ryan crystallised it: "Athleisure is no longer a
  subcategory. It is simply what a large proportion of people wear" — which makes "what story
  to whom" the better merchandising question than "performance or lifestyle." However, some
  members make radical choices and decide to leave a segment entirely.
• The wholesale-to-concession resistance among growth brands is structural, not
  cyclical. Gymshark and Alo insist on concessions. The implication: capturing the next wave of
  sportswear brands requires accepting the concession model — or building the equivalent
  through private label.
• Brand portfolio dynamics map where the heat is moving. Winners: On, Salomon, Lululemon, Adanola. Newcomers worth tracking: Picture (French outdoor), Squatwolf (Dubaibased, training-oriented), Anta and Li-Ning (Chinese running brands). Concerning performances: Boss Green, Under Armour, Converse.
• Three floor models are running side by side, and each tells a different category story. Dedicated standalone, integration into fashion floors, combination with menswear. The choice is not only about space allocation but about which customer the category is being merchandised for.
• Community building around the activity is the most consistently developed loyalty driver. Among notable initiatives: running events with brands (including shoe testing and afterrun social), cycling communities, yoga classes, and links created between performance brands and gourmet floor for energy-food collaboration. The principle is consistent across members: the event is around the activity, not the product, and the brand partnership is the funding mechanism.

Click below for the Sportswear & Sport Equipment meeting takeaways:
Sportswear & Sport Equipment Takeaways

General information

• Antitrust Guidelines
• Guide of Conduct
• Invitation Letter
• Questionnaire

Timing

Tuesday 12 May 2026 3 pm to 6 pm Paris time. 

Agenda

Additional details will be shared as the meeting date approaches.