Leading sports apparel distribution channels in Canada 2015, by dollar share
Athleisure in Canada - additional information
Athleisure is a colloquial term used to describe sportswear which is worn during non-sports related activities. Originating with women donning yoga pants, the fashion trend has grown, becoming a larger part of many consumers’ wardrobes. From every day to workwear, casual athletic clothing can now be seen incorporated into an array of outfit choices. Common athleisure clothing items include leggings, hoodies and sneakers.
With the growing popularity of athleisure, the market has been flooded with options from affordable mass merchants to luxury specialty retailers. In Canada, the sport apparel market was valued at approximately 2.37 billion Canadian dollars in 2015. Given the athleisure market was largely geared towards the female consumer, women accounted for almost 70 percent of discount department store Walmart’s sports apparel purchasers, while 90 percent of Lululemon’s purchasers were women. Men accounted for only 37 percent of purchases made at sports apparel retailers in Canada in 2015.
Some of the leading sports apparel brands in Canada include Adidas, Nike and Canada’s own Lululemon. Known for their upmarket leggings and yoga pants, Lululemon had 48 stores in Canada as of February 2016 and generated approximately 417 million U.S. dollars (approximately 583 million Canadian dollars as of February 2016) in revenue that fiscal year.