In the middle of the long-awaited Euro 2016 Championship, with Wimbledon having just started, and with Tour de France and British Golf Open kicking off shortly, this summer, online retailers will see many of their customers caught in the fever of major sporting events!
So, it is no surprise that theme activewear, such as Euro 2016-branded t-shirts, shorts and football boots, or sporting items and accessories, such as tennis bracelets, football balls and cycling sunglasses, are becoming increasingly popular among online shoppers.
As this creates new opportunities for online players that are well-geared to jump on the sporting wave, we take a look at how some of the leading brands, retailers and marketplaces are capitalising on the rising online demand for activewear and sports accessories, particularly in France where Euro 2016 is currently held.
Adidas and Nike are certainly the brands that make the most out of major sporting events taking place around the globe! Launching limited event-targeted product lines and featuring famous athletes in their marketing campaigns are just some of the means they use to engage customers and promote their products.
Now that we are half way through Euro 2016, as a way to keep all customer groups engaged, Nike for example have a launched a summer collection for kids and teenagers inspired by all-time favourite football heroes. They have also made the official outfit design of the French national football team available to their offline and online customers.
Similarly, Adidas have a launched limited product lines of football boots inspired by and named after some of the most popular football players right now, such as Lionel Messi and Paul Pogba.
Similar to brands, online retailers are also making major sporting events part of their sales strategy, capitalising on the rising buyer’s interest in activewear and accessories.
Pentagon’s customer, SportsDirect is one of the best examples of an online retailer that features and actively promotes all upcoming sports events on their front store, deals section, newsletter and all promotional materials they roll out to potential customers.
Besides activewear and sporting accessories closely related to Euro 2016, which has been the main focus over the past month, Tour de France, Wimbledon and British Open also have a strong presence in SportsDirect’s online sales campaigns.
Not falling behind brands and retailers, online marketplaces are also actively promoting the upcoming sports events through dedicated shops, theme storefront designs and event-related marketing campaigns.
For example, one of the leading online marketplaces in France, Amazon France, has opened a dedicated online Euro 2016 shop, offering more than 134,000 items for soccer fans. Most items are from the retailer’s soccer department, but you can also find Euro 2016-realted merchandise, such as key cords, socks, stuffed toys and t-shirts. The shop is divided into different categories: ‘I support my team’, ‘I celebrate with friends’, ‘I watch the matches at home’, ‘I play like the pros’ and ‘After the matches’, aiming to get everyone in the mood and engage all customer types.
Similar to Amazon France, another leading French marketplace, La Redoute is also specifically targeting football fans by offering a dedicated Euro 2016 category, where customers can find a great variety of Euro-branded activewear and accessories. This selection includes t-shirts, bags, hats, bracelets and many others.
Unsurprisingly, footwear specialist Spartoo has also got in on the act and is promoting ‘Football Crazy’ deals, targeting fans with a wide selection of football boots and sports bags to capitalise on the Euro 2016 momentum.
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