Use our industry guide to find key background information, market research, import and export guidelines, statistics, legislation, trade bodies and trade publications.
The Business & Industry Guides series is produced by the Library & Information Service for ICAEW members and ACA students.
We can compile tailored key players reports, mailing lists, market reports, benchmarking reports and industry news. Our enquiry team can also research other industry-specific information, such as taxation, for you. Call us on +44 (0)20 7920 8620 or email library@icaew.com.
Trends and forecasts
Market research
Market research reports focusing on this business sector are available from a number of market research specialists. In most cases these reports are available to fee-paying subscribers or on a pay-as-you-go basis.
Some free information is available from the following market research specialists, ranging from industry news to executive summaries of the reports.
IBISWorld
Business and industry research specialists offering reports on a wide range of sectors. Topics include outdoor recreational equipment retailers; sports facilities; sports clubs; and gyms
and fitness centres. Report snapshots, table of contents and a sample report are available. The company also produces global industryresearch reports.
Mintel
A full listing of reports covering the sports industry is available, including the sports equipment sector, with the option to view the executive summary and a table of
contents for each report.
Industry news
Need to find the latest news on this industry sector? We can carry out industry news searches using a range of trade titles and general business sources through our databases. To discuss your requirements, please contact the enquiry team on +44 (0)20 7920 8620 or at library@icaew.com.
Statistics on the UK
Office for National Statistics
The Annual Business Survey (ABS) from the Office for National Statistics collects financial information covering UK production, construction, distribution and service industries. Statistics available include:
- number of enterprises;
- total turnover;
- approximate gross value added at basic prices;
- total purchases of goods, materials and services;
- total employment costs;
- total net capital expenditure;
- total net capital expenditure – acquisitions;
- total net capital expenditure – disposals;
- total stocks and work in progress – value at end of year;
- total stocks and work in progress – value at beginning of year;
- total stocks and work in progress – increase during year.
The dataset Non-financial business economy, UK: Sections A to S includes statistics for:
- Manufacturing of sports goods (32.3)
See Section C: Manufacturing - Retail sale of sporting equipment in specialised stores (47.64)
See Division 47: Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles - Renting and leasing of recreational and sports goods (77.21)
See Section N: Administrative and support service activities - Sports and recreation education (85.51)
See Section P: Education - Sports activities (93.1)
See Section R: Arts, entertainment and recreation
Statistics on Europe
Eurostat
Eurostat, the EU statistics hub, collates detailed Structural Business Statistics giving the latest figures for industry, construction, trade and services by sector and country. The indicators available include:
- number of enterprises
- turnover or gross premiums written
- production value
- value added at factor cost
- gross operating surplus
- wages and salaries
- social security costs
- gross investment in tangible goods
- gross investment in land
- gross investment in existing buildings and structures
- gross investment in construction and alteration of buildings
- gross investment in machinery and equipment
- number of employees
- number of persons employed per enterprise.
Statistics within the database are available for:
- Manufacturing of sports goods (C323)
See database section ‘SBS – industry and construction’ - Retail sale of sporting equipment in specialised stores (G4764)
See database section ‘SBS – trade’ - Renting and leasing of recreational and sports goods (N7721)
See database section ‘SBS – services’
Global statistics
INDSTAT
The UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) collects and compiles industrial statistics known as INDSTAT, which give information on:
- number of employees
- number of establishments
- output
- value added
- total wages and salaries.
Statistics by country are available for:
- Sports goods (3693)
UN Commodity Trade Statistics Database (Comtrade)
The UN compiles and publishes international import and export statistics in the Commodity Trade Statistics Database (Comtrade), giving figures for goods traded by value, quantity and weight for each country.
Statistics are available for:
- Toys, games, sports requisites (95)
UN Industrial Commodity Statistics Database
The UN provides statistics on the quantity of goods produced by country in the Industrial Commodity Statistics Database.
Figures are available for:
- Snow-skis and other snow-ski equipment, ice-skates and roller-skates (38)
- Gymnasium or athletics articles and equipment (38)
- Golf clubs and other golf equipment (38)
- Fishing rods and other line fishing tackle; landing nets, butterfly nets and similar (38)
- Sporting, hunting, target-shooting guns (44)
Employment
UK
The Office for National Statistics publication Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) includes average employment costs within this sector which can be found in Table 14. Average employment costs are provided for full-time employees, part-time employees and all employees.
The data includes average employment costs for:
- sport and fitness occupations;
- sports coaches, instructors and officials;
- sports players.
The annual Business Register and Employment Survey (BRES), published by the Office for National Statistics, includes total employee and employment estimates for different industries for Great Britain and the UK. Figures are broken down to show full-time/part-time and public/private splits. The dataset Industry – Business Register and Employment Survey (BRES): Table 2 includes statistics for:
- Manufacturing of sports goods (323)
- Retail sale of sports goods; fishing gear, camping goods; boats and bicycles (47640)
- Renting and leasing of recreational and sports goods (77210)
Please see individual country profile pages for links to sources of national statistics.
Legislation and regulation
UK
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has a section on health and safety in the entertainment and leisure industry, which includes latest regulations affecting this industry.
Europe
The sports and recreation sector and the EU
Guidance published by GOV.UK for those working in the sports and recreation sector now that the UK has left the EU.
Import and export
Trade Tariff
The Trade Tariff is a useful Gov.uk database listing tax, duties and licenses for the import and export of goods between the UK and other countries. The database is searchable by product or commodity code and results can be filtered by date and country. Information also includes links to relevant conditions and regulations.
See import and export information for:
- articles and equipment for general physical exercise, gymnastics, athletics, other sports (including table-tennis) or outdoor games; swimming pools and paddling pools
- fishing rods, fish-hooks and other line fishing tackle; fish landing nets, butterfly nets and similar nets; decoy ‘birds’ and similar hunting or shooting requisites
UK business guides
Atom Content Marketing guides
The Start Up Donut from Atom Content Marketing provides practical information on starting up and running a number of small business types. Guides cover a range of areas including market research, current trends, regulations, products and services, promotion and pricing. They include:
Tactical and Information Packages
HMRC published a series of Tactical and Information Packages (TIPs), replacing Business Economic Notes in 2007, offering guidance to HMRC officers to support compliance activity in the department. The TIPs provide trade-based information with some explanation of key features and trading practices. However, they were subsequently removed from the HMRC website following a policy change.
The text of TIP 73 on field sports as published at this time is still available from the article Tactical Information Packages(TIPS) on the AccountingWeb website, however this should be treated with caution as this may no longer be the current version.
UK key players, ratios and trends
UK benchmarking
Trade bodies
The websites of trade bodies in this sector are a useful source of industry overviews, contacts and statistics.
UK
- British Association of Sports Exercise Medicine (BASEM)
- Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA)
- Federation of Sports and Play Associations (FSPA)
- Institute for Sport, Parks and Leisure (ISPAL)
- National Register of Personal Trainers (NRPT)
- European Register of Exercise Professionals (EREPs)
- Sporting Goods Industry Association (SGIA)
- Sports and Physical Education Association (SPE)
- ukactive
Europe
- Association of European Manufacturers of Sporting Ammunition (AFEMS)
- European Union of Swimming Pool and Spa Associations (EUSA)
- Federation of the European Sporting Goods Industry (FESI)
Americas
- Associação Brasileira da Indústria do Esporte (ABRIESP)
- Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) (US)
Asia
- China Sporting Goods Federation
- Korea Sporting Goods Industry Association
- Taiwan Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association
Australasia
Global
Trade journals and publications
Trade journals, B2B magazines and specialist consumer magazines are another useful source of news and statistics.
Further resources
Health and fitness and sports industry guides: British Library
British Library industry guides provide listings of resources for industry-specific information, including print directories and materials held by the British Library. Registration is
required.
Contact the British Library Business and IP Centre for more information.
Further reading
Articles and books in the Library collection
To find out how you can borrow books from the Library please see our guide to book loans.
You can obtain copies of articles or extracts of books and reports by post or email through our document supply service.
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