The best time to highlight your brand’s presence within a specific apparel category is when the stage is all set for rapid development. With the market for sports apparel and uniforms expected to grow exponentially, the need of the hour is a dedicated platform where various stakeholders can interact. The ‘Uniform and Sportswear Expo’ 2022 being organised by Aditya Expositions at CIDCO Exhibition Centre, Navi Mumbai from November 8-10 2022, provides exactly that.
An ideal convergence point, with opportunities to reap the resultant big benefits going forward, the credibility factor has been further enhanced with Textile Mirror Magazine (Bhilwara) associating with the event as Media Partner and BITtextiles.com as Digital Partner.
“This sunrise industry has vast scope to increase its share within the apparel and textile market. Most of the players are from the unorganised sector and not very professionally managed. We envisage immense potential for growth and development. We see Uniform & Sportswear Expo 2022 as a catalyst for the transformation of this industry. We are committed in our quest to stand by the industry and enable it to grow. We have very strong textile base in India and this expo is our initiative to help our manufacturers to export all over the world; facilitating the ‘Make in India’ efforts as they progress and achieve a level of true success,” said Devang N. Sheth, Director, Aditya Expositions.
Recent reports have made it clear that the potential is not just within India but an opportunity to tap markets beyond borders as well. The Global Sports Apparel Market Report 2022-2026 by Research and Markets highlights that the global sports apparel market in 2021 was valued at $178.73 bn, and is likely to reach $248.99 bn by 2026. Sports apparel has grown in popularity over the last few years. With prominent players promoting and wearing top brands, sports apparel can be found practically anywhere.
There is a fundamental shift towards retail and online sales. Consumers’ propensity to order sporting goods online has been boosted by the pandemic and this habit is here to stay. Moreover, in recent years, there has been an increase in the number of people who are interested in health and fitness, as well as an increase in the number of people going to gyms, where young consumers want to not only be fit but also look good. These factors have been and continue to increase the demand for sports apparel, globally. The sports apparel market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 6.10 percent during the forecast period of 2022-2026.
The report splits the global sports apparel market into four different segments – pants & tights, tops & t-shirts, surf & swimwear, and sweaters & hoodies. On the basis of end users – men, women, and children – the men segment held around 50 percent of the share in sports apparel market in 2021. Women segment is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.6 percent for the period 2022-2026, driven by the rising number of sports designed specifically for women. The e-commerce segment is the fastest growing segment with a CAGR of around 12.4% during forecast period.
Asia Pacific sports apparel industry is expected to grow at significant rate due to presence of larger number of young population and brands carrying out localized promotion strategy to shift consumers from unbranded to branded products. Growth drivers include increase in Gen Z Income, increasing influence of social media, growing penetration of e-commerce, rapid urbanization, increasing health consciousness among people and growing popularity of athleisure.
A notable trend is that Athleisure is also being widely used as casual wear which is propelling demand for activewear in India. Sports apparel are made using breathable material that allows sweat to evaporate faster, helping the person wearing it remains fresh for longer. Initially, the sports apparel was mostly worn by athletes but, with time, it became quite common with regular gym-goers and other non-athletes.
Uniforms are one of the top requirements in schools, colleges, corporate firms, hospitality ventures, restaurants, hospitals and other institutes. ‘Uniform and Sportswear Expo’ 2022 will also be covering corporate and industrial uniforms, a high-growth segment, which has vast market potential in India.
Online reports state that the market size of the uniforms manufacturing sector in India is estimated to be Rs.18,000 crore per annum, with Rs.10,000 crore coming from machinery and fabrics while Rs.8,000 crore come from sales supplying to local schools through retailers and institutions. With over 40 years of legacy in the uniform industry, the sector has more than 10,000 happy clients all over the world.
According to experts, over the next five years, the school uniform market will register a 7.6 percent CAGR in terms of revenue and the global market size will reach $25,710 mn by 2025, from $19,200 mn in 2019.
The ‘Uniform and Sportswear Expo’ will be a gateway enabling exhibitors to tap the potential by showcasing brands, products, machinery and more. Trade shows are an essential component for business interaction and networking and this concept fits the industry requirements precisely. It is clear that both, uniform and sportswear segments have unique demand drivers and will continue to be extremely relevant going forward as well.
The show organisers, Aditya Expositions, have envisaged an extensive social media campaign on the available and popular, regularly accessed platforms, in order to reach out to sportswear manufacturers, buyers, exporters, wholesalers and dealers in the sector, corporates, sports organisations, clubs, yoga and gym clubs, sportspersons, coaches, sports therapists, etc. Constant promotion of the exhibition will be undertaken to create wider awareness.
