Is Soccer Scoring Sales in the US?

As the European football season draws near, a significant trend has emerged this summer, with several high-profile players making their way to Non-EU leagues enticed by lucrative wages. One of the most talked about transfers is Messi’s move to Inter Miami where he is reportedly due to earn around $60 million annually. Given this notable shift to the footballing landscape at large, let’s take a look at the impact on US e-commerce sales.

Grips Research finds that in countries like the United States, where soccer traditionally garners less attention than in Europe, there is an intriguing increase in sales relating to the sport. The soccer category, in particular, stands out, boasting an impressive 13% increase in revenue from April to June 2023 vs the previous 3 months. What’s more, over 50 retailers and brands actively contribute to this surge in sales, painting a fascinating picture of the sport’s growing popularity beyond its European heartland.

Grips data has uncovered some exciting trends in the world of soccer sales, shedding light on the impressive growth experienced by soccer.com, one of the leading retailers specializing in soccer products. In June 2023, soccer.com witnessed a remarkable surge of 30% in sales compared to June 2022.

The momentum isn’t limited to soccer.com alone; other sports-based retailers across the US are also enjoying the soccer fever. Dicksportinggoods.com, for instance, saw an impressive 15% increase in sales in June 2023 when compared to June 2022. Equally remarkable, their Soccer category witnessed similar growth levels in the three months leading up to June 2023.

However, the true champion of the soccer sales in the e-commerce landscape is, unsurprisingly, Amazon.com, boasting a staggering 25% increase in revenue within the Soccer category during the three-month period from April to June 2023.

Taking a broader perspective, Messi’s sponsor Adidas (Adidas.com) has maintained steady sales figures this June, nearly on par with the previous year’s numbers, with $50.9 million in sales this year against $51.5 million last year.

However, it’s interesting to note that Adidas.com sees an 11% growth in revenue observed within the soccer category in the three months leading up to June.

Delving into historical data, we can trace a visible increase around November, driven by the FIFA World Cup 2022. This further demonstrates the impact footballing events can have on the US e-commerce landscape.

It’s too soon to know the exact magnitude of soccer’s sales growth caused by international tournaments and the addition of high-profile players in the US. To grasp the complete impact on e-commerce sales, Grips will continue to assess and compare sales data for the industry to determine if the growth soccer is seeing is here to stay. 

Nevertheless, there are already evident signs of growth in the e-commerce industry. As the demand continues to gain momentum, sports retailers and brands should proactively respond and adapt their offerings to meet the rising needs of the market. By closely monitoring these developments, they can position themselves for ongoing success in this flourishing landscape.

But don’t wait for us to do the analysis! Book a demo with our team and learn how you can use the Grips platform to immediately track the online sales performance for thousands of consumer product categories as well as the performance of tens of thousands of e-commerce sites and brands.