A strong start to the year for the sportswear sector, with a 26% increase in sentiment score from 2023, resting at +0.73 for the first half (H1) of 2024.

The optimism felt in 2023 for the sportswear sector has continued in H1 2024, with the sector scoring 35% higher than the overall textiles and apparel industry (+0.51). This is highlighted by our year-on-year comparison. There is a clear positive trajectory for the sector, which started 2023 on +0.49, climbing up to +0.73 in H1 2024.

Despite this positive start, WTiN has highlighted some of the challenges the sector faces around supply and demand. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, sportswear companies have confronted ongoing inventory challenges, overstocking and demand volatility. This has been compounded by other supply chain disruptions, geopolitical uncertainties and inflation across the period.

However, the analysis for H1 2024 demonstrates the sector’s resilience. In particular, there has been a strong emphasis on seeking out sustainable solutions, recycling technologies and commercial collaborations to keep sportswear on a positive path for the rest of 2024.