Sporting Goods Imported to US Almost Double Comparing Q1 2021
Resulting from lockdowns due to COVID-19 in sporting venues and gyms, and the increase of the health-consciousness from consumers; sporting goods imported to the US worldwide rocketed nearly 100% to a value of US$ 3.7 billion for the first 3 months of 2021, compared to US$1.9 billion the same period of 2020.
China, the No. 1 exporter controlled 64% of the total world export value to the US, experiencing a 129% increase to US$ 2.3 billion in Q1 2021. China has been supplying more than 60% of sporting goods to the US since 2019. Second came Taiwan achieving 91% growth too to US$ 0.66 billion, making up 18% of the total import. The next 3 exporters were Vietnam, Canada, and Mexico. 2 potential Sporting Goods supplying countries to pay attention to are Cambodia and Malaysia, which experienced strong growth of 89% and 59% respectively compared to 2020.
The biggest import category of sporting goods was “Articles and Equipment for General Physical Exercise” achieving 216% growth compared to 2020. “Articles And Equipment for Sports or Outdoor Games” is # 2. As well as exercise, the trend of increased demand for takeaway delivery is also supporting the 60% increase for the category of “Bicycles and Other Cycles (Including Delivery Tricycles), Not Motorized”.
4 Trending Product Categories in eCommerce in 2021
Looking for sourcing in-demand products and categories to sell in the different online marketplace for 2021? According to our research based on search data and online marketplaces’ search results, there are some products which we can classify into below trending product categories:
1. At-home exercise
It’s not difficult to understand why the at-home exercise category is becoming one of the best-selling online product categories, given the mandatory shutdowns of gyms around the world. Exercise bands, dumbbells, weighted armbands, yoga mats, balance balls are some perfect examples in this category.
2. Work-from-home furniture
By 2025, it is estimated that 70% of the workforce will be working remotely at least five days a month. Desk storage organizers, laptop stands, stand-up adjustable desks, and lap desks are some work-from-home hard goods.
3. Pet products
The pandemic seems to have accelerated Pet owners’ acceptance of e-commerce. From the large and bulky pet products like food to daily essential products like dog poo bags, kitten litter boxes, and sands, pet hard goods demand will continue to surge in 2021.
4. Health & hygiene products
According to Catalina’s Buyer Intelligence Database for the US market, here are the Top 5 biggest growing categories for grocery and drug stores in 2020 and we expect the surge will continue:
• Home health testing kits (include face masks) – up 314%
• Liquid hand soaps – up 246%
• Disinfected cleaners – up 235%
• Personal moist towelettes – up 155%
• Household cleaner pre-moist wipes – up 19%
Recommendations from Bureau Veritas:
If you’re planning to manufacture or source the products of the above categories, bear in mind that different regions have various complex regulatory and standards that create unnecessary guesswork during each stage of the product cycle. To minimize the risk of recall, ensuring that your goods meet quality specifications and certification standards is critical.
Stephen LIM
Director, Business Development of Bureau Veritas Consumer Products Services
Content contributor: Bureau Veritas CPS HK (All rights reserved).
Bureau Veritas is an authorized third-party body for product quality testing, inspection, and audit programs for manufacturers & online retailers. If you have any comments and/or questions about this article, please visit: https://www.cps.bureauveritas.com or click HERE for more technical webinars.
