From the Sector

Wie kaufen sportlich aktive Menschen in der DACH-Region ein? Was erwarten sie von ihrem Einkaufserlebnis im stationären Sporthandel? Die neue Studie „Consumer-REPORT 2025 - Sportartikelhandel DACH" ist erschienen und will auf 114 Seiten in kompakter, grafisch ausdrucksstarker Darstellung Antworten liefern.

„Für unsere neue Sportstudie haben wir mehr als 5.000 Menschen aus der DACH-Region repräsentativ befragt – aktive SportlerInnen und BesitzerInnen von funktioneller Sportbekleidung, Sportschuhen oder Sportausrüstung. Mit der klaren Differenzierung zwischen stationärem Handel und Online-Plattformen zeigt unsere Studie auf, wie die Akteure in der Sportbranche ihre Strategien zielgerichtet optimieren können“, erklärt Sonja Koschel, Inhaberin von Marketmedia24 und Studienleiterin.
 
Stationär bleibt führend – mit starker Konkurrenz aus dem Netz

• Funktionelle Sportbekleidung wird überwiegend im stationären Sportgeschäft gekauft (ca. 60 %).
• Online-Plattformen und Marktplätze wie Amazon oder Otto folgen mit knapp 38 %.
• Die Onlineshops von Sportfachhändlern spielen ebenfalls eine wichtige Rolle und erzielen etwa 26 % der Käufe.

Beim Kaufverhalten gibt es Unterschiede zwischen Produktkategorien

• Sportgeräte wie Fitness- oder Outdoor-Equipment werden bevorzugt online gekauft.
• Sporttextilien wie Jacken, Shirts oder Hosen finden ihre KäuferInnen vor allem im Sportgeschäft.
• Sportschuhe zeigen gemischte Präferenzen: Während funktionelle Schuhe wie Laufschuhe oft online bestellt werden, greifen KundInnen bei Berg- und Wanderschuhen gerne auf die Beratung und die Möglichkeit der Anprobe im Fachgeschäft zurück.

Kundenbewertungen des stationären Handels
29,8 % der deutschen Kunden bewerten ihr Einkaufserlebnis im Sportgeschäft mit der Bestnote „sehr gut“, weitere 54,6 % sind ebenfalls zufrieden. Besonders geschätzt werden eine große Produktauswahl und die Möglichkeit, Sportartikel vor dem Kauf zu testen oder anzuprobieren
 
Doch die Kundenerwartungen steigen: Für eine langfristige Kundenbindung sollten eine schnelle und unkomplizierte Reklamationsbearbeitung, Rabattprogramme und Boni für Stammkunden sowie schnelle Liefer- und Abholoptionen für online bestellte Artikel eine Selbstverständlichkeit sein.
 
Die Studie, die Marketmedia24 in Kooperation mit SAZsport erstellt hat, ist in digitaler Version (PDF) zum Preis von 1.450,00 Euro erhältlich.

Polartec®, a Milliken™ & Company brand and creator of innovative textile solutions for future thinking, introduces Product, the third and final chapter in Polartec’s multifaceted Beyond Begins Today mini-series.

Beyond Begins Today looks at how Polartec fabrics are made to last, and to be used and enjoyed from one generation to the next and beyond. It explores the innovative monomaterials, repurposed plastic and the plant-based nylon membranes that Polartec uses to set new standards for high performance fabrics; the ambitious climate-related objectives across the entire value chain that exceed existing mandates. Such a holistic strategy allows Polartec to stay at the forefront of its industry by producing top-notch textiles that champion environmental stewardship and pave the way for a more sustainable tomorrow.

Within the rich tapestry of Polartec’s legacy, threads of innovation weave together the past, present, and future. From its humble origins as pioneers of synthetic fleece to bold strides into new realms, Polartec represents the promise of harmony between creation and care; touching lives while honoring the earth.

Product, the final installment of Beyond Begins Today, features Paul Cosgrove (Chief Product Officer, Mammut), Sachiye Koide, (Mountaineer & Product Engineer), and Eric Yung (Managing Director of Polartec). Through a discussion that begins with a reverent nod to the iconic designs of brands like Mammut and the pioneers who wore them, Chapter 3 leads into the soul of the great outdoors. From a celebration of the gear that binds lives to landscapes, and passions to purpose, it looks at a legacy that connects Polartec’s promise to enhance lives to the enduring strength of its textile solutions.

Unveiled at the forthcoming Texworld Apparel Sourcing Paris trade fair, from 10 to 12 February at the Paris-Le-Bourget Exhibition Centre, the trend book for the Spring-Summer 2026 season opens up new creative worlds where emotion attempts to regain the upper hand over pure materials.

Entitled Néocène, the new forward-looking journey proposed by Louis Gérin and Grégory Lamaud, the artistic directors of Texworld Apparel Sourcing Paris, explores a world undergoing profound change. Conceived against a backdrop of severe economic, social and environmental tensions, this document is the result of cross-referencing and analysing emerging signals detected and interpreted by a panel of stylists, designers, graphic artists, authors and scenographers. In four major themes, it sets out an aesthetic framework to help fashion designers and buyers develop their spring-summer 2026 collections.

1 wardrobe, 4 universes
A new era without humans, the Néocène is a clean slate, an indefinable horizon that obeys only the laws of physics. New shapes, new colours: each theme in this trend book reflects a creative universe organised around specific materials and 3 “star colours” in 6 intermediate shades. Presented in the introduction, these colours provide a glimpse of the palette for the collections to come.

#1 Quantum.
In this universe of atoms, everything is just energy, chance and freedom. This first proposal plunges back into the heart of substance with fluid, heated and incandescent materials, on the edge of solid and liquid. The soft textures and expanded forms are particularly at home here, and express themselves in a radiant, sunny colour system: spicy flavours, tones of tan and caramel are very present.

#2 Gravity.
“The structure of the universe [...] An invisible interdependence.” This theme plays on the multiple meanings of gravity: a heaviness that is both physical and emotional. Mineral and sandy materials, repetitive or sequential geometrical patterns, all find their place here, as do aqueous aspects and biomimetic and animal-inspired forms. The colour palette here is clearly diaphanous and serious, natural and diffuse.

#3 Relativity.
This proposition should be seen as a deepening of the previous theme, until the propositions are reversed: “Ugly has become beautiful [...] Stillness accelerates”. A world of oxymorons in which graphic motifs express a mummified vegetal world, supported by lines shaped like imprints, draped textures, embroideries intended as traces of an anterior world. The colours are those of ash, tattoo ink, animal... The blues and mauves are dark and intense.

#4 Magnetism.
In stark contrast to the other universes, this axis exalts order and renewal, and brings lightness, even fragility, to the creative approach. Transparency is assertive, as are floral motifs and curved, ample and comfortable lines. The colour palette is in tune with the emotion of the theme: marshmallows, sweet flavours, peach and blush pink are at the heart of the theme.

A new layout to maximize synergies
The return of the Texworld Apparel Sourcing Paris shows to Halls 2, 3 and 4 of the Paris-Le-Bourget Exhibition Centre is accompanied by an exciting new space organisation to make the buying experience even more efficient and inspiring. At the heart of hall 2, the Trends Forum will captivate visitor with its four dynamic themes, and will also house all key services, including the Agora for engaging conferences and lively round-table discussions, as well as inviting restaurants. In terms of products and services, some Texworld and Apparel Sourcing sectors have been brought together to promote synergies, with coherent areas devoted to women's clothing (Hall 4) and outdoor-sportswear-casualwear (Hall 3). This layout not only makes the Apparel Sourcing offering easier to navigate but also optimises the entire sourcing process, providing a more streamlined and productive experience.

Das Outdoor Retailer Climate Commitment (ORCC), offenes Netzwerk europäischer Outdoor-Händler für mehr Klimaschutz in der Outdoor-Branche, hat mit dem deutschen Outdoor-Händler Globetrotter ein weiteres Mitglied gewonnen. Die Initiative hat sich zum Ziel gesetzt, sich gemeinsam für die Erreichung der Pariser Klimaschutzziele einzusetzen und mit Hilfe wissenschaftsbasierter Ziele aktiv dazu beizutragen, die globale Klimaerwärmung auf 1,5 Grad Celsius zu begrenzen.

Das ORCC wurde im September 2021 als Initiative europäischer Outdoor-Händler ins Leben gerufen. Ursprünglich mit fünf Mitgliedern gestartet, umfasst das offene Klimaschutz-Netzwerk mittlerweile zehn Outdoor-Retailer aus ganz Europa. Die größten Vertreter der Branche, darunter die Sportler AG, Yonderland, Bergfreunde GmbH, Bergzeit GmbH, Sport Schuster, Sport Conrad, Ellis Brigham Mountain Sports, Sport Pursuit, Sport Bründl und nun auch Globetrotter, setzen sich gemeinsam für mehr Klimaschutz ein. Ihr Ziel ist es, den Klimaschutz voranzubringen und die Pariser Klimaziele zu erreichen.

Die Mitglieder des ORCC nehmen ihre Verantwortung für den Klimaschutz sehr ernst: Sie verpflichten sich, ihren CO2-Fußabdruck gemäß dem Greenhouse Gas Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard zu messen, Ziele zur Reduzierung ihrer Emissionen festzulegen (zum Beispiel durch die Science Based Targets Initiative oder gleichwertige Ziele), Maßnahmen zur Erreichung der Klimaschutzziele zu ergreifen und jährlich einen öffentlich zugänglichen Fortschrittsbericht vorzulegen.

Globetrotter will mit dem Beitritt zum Netzwerk vor allem die unternehmensübergreifende Zusammenarbeit für die Sache stärken und Synergie-Effekte sowie Erfahrungen teilen. Andreas Vogler, Geschäftsführung Globetrotter, erklärt: „Um den Klimaschutz weiter voranzubringen, müssen wir alle unsere Anstrengungen noch intensivieren. Ein wichtiger Schlüssel ist die Zusammenarbeit innerhalb der Branche. Deshalb freue ich mich, dass wir ab sofort unsere Expertise in das ORCC einbringen.“
 
Fabian Nendza, Senior Sustainability Manager bei Globetrotter, will über den gemeinsamen Austausch vor allem die Klimaschutzmaßnahmen innerhalb der Lieferkette verbessern und ergänzt: „Wir müssen an die Scope 3 Emissionen ran und das möglichst effektiv, d.h. den Aufwand auf allen Seiten reduzieren und den Fokus auf Impact legen.“

Texworld Apparel Sourcing Paris will take place at Paris-Le-Bourget exhibition centre from February 10 to 12, 2025. For three days, buyers will have access to the best in global sourcing to design and build fashion brands' Spring-Summer 2026 collections in Halls 3 and 4. Hall 3 has been completely rebuilt for the recent Olympic Games. Encouraging booking levels already suggest a particularly active session, in line with Messe Frankfurt France's forecasts.

Offering synergies between materials and finished products
The return of Texworld and Apparel Sourcing to the Paris-Le Bourget exhibition center will provide an opportunity to develop the layout of sectors and services. Some of the sectors from the two shows will be brought together to create new synergies and to offer a women's wardrobe in Hall 4, and a large area devoted to outdoor-sportswear-casualwear in Hall 3. All the services, the trends forum, the restaurants and the Agora, where conferences and round tables are held, will all be regrouped in Hall 2. This new organisation will enhance the coherence of the offer and provide new solutions for buyers' sourcing work.

Presence of major suppliers and national pavilions
This dynamism of this edition is a reminder of the central role played by European markets for the fashion sector, from ready-to-wear to luxury. Like every edition, the major sourcing nations for fabrics, materials, accessories and finished garments products will be represented: first and foremost, China, with the largest number of exhibitors, Türkiye - the national pavilion supported by the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ITO) will be present - India, Korea, but also Indonesia, Pakistan, Thailand and Bangladesh, which should be at Le Bourget despite the difficult political context the country is going through. Texworld is also renewing the experiment launched in July on yarn sourcing with the Yarn Expo pavilion, valorising the upstream sector and the know-how of leading spinning companies.

Texpertise Econogy: spotlight on sustainable fashion
Driven by the Econogy principle, promoted worldwide by the Texpertise Network, Messe Frankfurt's expertise in sustainability-related initiatives in the textile sector will be showcased through the Econogy Finder, which will enable buyers to identify online or on the mobile app all suppliers of sustainably produced textiles. In addition, the Econogy Talks will make it easier to find conferences dealing with these issues among the many round tables scheduled in the Agora in Hall 2. Finally, the Econogy Tours, launched last July, will be renewed on Monday 10 and Tuesday 11 February, with a specialist on the subject covering a significant part of this specific offer.

Over the course of one month, from the beginning of January until mid-February 2025, SEEK will play at a new 5-floor location in Berlin (Oranienstrasse), becoming a home to brands, showrooms, agencies, the Conscious Club, marketing-driven events and showcases as well as the return of the infamous Designer Sale.

New space
Five floors of the historic building from 1900, offer the ideal setting of SEEK's new modular system and return to its simple, clean and reduced set up. Every floor is about 600 sqm big, and offers high ceilings, large window facades and therefore lots of daylight as well as wide, open spaces to present the latest products and smaller rooms as a retreat or ideal for private order appointments.
 
The new location, especially with its various floors, offers brands and agencies the opportunity to curate and target specific audiences: whether it's by appointment only, engaging with press and content creators, attracting potential new customers, like-minded individuals, or end-consumers.

New concept
SEEK and the team behind the Berlin fashion event puts its 15 years of experience in use and presents a completely new, independent, innovative, agile, solution-focused and adaptable, month-long concept. According to the motto "the customer is always right", SEEK replies and reacts to the markets' and the exhibitors' needs: concentrated and coherent brand scenarios, individually bookable time periods and customised conditions for various needs and objectives.
 
"It's not the right time for a one-size-fits-all approach. The needs, strategies, objectives and timelines of our exhibitors and visitors are more diverse than ever been before. Two set-in-stone days and one big location hosting them all are just not the Zeitgeist anymore. Brands and agencies get together and create smaller, more intimate showroom concepts. The Conscious Club is a close-knit community that thrives from exchange, collaboration and togetherness. Classic calendars as well as designs of mens- and womenswear become blurred. Outdoor and function wear is part of not just streetwear culture any more. We need to react to these trends and offer modular options and dates" says Elli Moreno, SEEK
 
New timescale
The new concept is consciously taking a step back from the traditional trade show calendar and fashion week schedule. This upcoming Autumn/Winter 2025/26 season is the tightest and busiest yet - the perfect starting point to launch SEEK's new concept. The Berlin based fashion and lifestyle event organisers open the doors beginning of January 2025, before the first European trade show takes place, as well as over the course of Berlin Fashion Week, which will take place at the beginning of February.
 
In close conversations with those responsible, SEEK will develop and present coherent concepts, brand scenarios and agencies' showrooms at various appropriate and reasonable times. SEEK, as well as its traditional role as an organiser, will now - more than ever - act as a landlord, communicator, consultant and most importantly: host.
 
"With the new concept we're acting on and expressing what everyone's thinking! The timelines, fashion weeks as well as trade shows and events in Europe are more and more overlapping. We have to stop thinking in black and white, outdated calendars and segments, and dictating when brands and agencies have to write orders and close the books. Flexibility, independence, the very honest, loyal relationships with our exhibitors and visitors and down-to-earthness are our absolute USPs, which we will now benefit from!" Marie-Luise Ahlers, SEEK

The Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games are just around the corner and a global sports frenzy is underway. However, intense summer workouts often lead to sportswear absorbing excessive sweat, becoming clingy and cumbersome, causing discomfort and potentially impacting performance. A research team from the School of Fashion and Textiles at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has developed the iActive™ sportswear range which features a root-like liquid transport system and a skin-like active perspiration dissipater and utilises nature-inspired, anti-heat textile fabrics to expedite sweat removal, effectively reducing the weight and stickiness of activewear caused by sweat accumulation during exercise.

The human body has millions of sweat glands that are vital for regulating body temperature by dissipating sweat for evaporation to cool the skin’s surface. With unabating greenhouse gas emissions, the number of very hot days annually is expected to increase significantly. This will lead to elevated energy consumption and increased sweating during physical activity and outdoor labour. Even when wearing highly breathable clothes with good sweat-wicking properties, individuals may still experience discomfort due to excessive sweat accumulation.

A research team led by Dr SHOU Dahua, Limin Endowed Young Scholar in Advanced Textiles Technologies and Associate Professor of the School of Fashion and Textiles at PolyU, has invented the iActive™, intelligent, electrically activated sportswear with a nature-inspired active perspiration function.

Its nature-inspired technologies, including low-voltage-driven artificial “sweat glands” created by skin-like anti-heat textile fabrics and a root-like branching liquid transport system that aligns with the body’s sweat map, can actively and programmably remove sweat to a perspiration dissipater at the lower region of the sportswear. The all-textile sweat dissipater is compact and operates at a safe output voltage of approximately 5-9V, and its battery is easy to detach from the clothing, making it convenient for users to repeatedly wash the clothing by hand or in a washing machine to maintain hygiene. When the human body’s sweat rate is low, iActive™ can still be used independently without the battery.

Based on the optimised wettability pattern and gradient, the research team utilises a skin-like textile fabric to transport sweat one-way quickly and dissipate it from the inside to the outside. This feature reduces the stickiness and weight of clothing, improves breathability and ensures the garments remain dry and comfortable to wear. Experimental findings indicate that iActive™ creates a breathable and dry skin microclimate by dissipating sweat at a rate that is three times faster than the maximum human sweating rate. This innovation can also prevent discomfort from coldness and moisture after a workout. In comparison to traditional fabrics, the textile materials in iActive™ are 60% lighter and 50% less clingy when soaked, providing the wearer with all-round comfort and enabling sports enthusiasts and athletes to perform at their best.

Furthermore, a mobile app further aids personalised sweat management by wirelessly adjusting the sweat level of iActive™. This innovation is versatile and can be seamlessly integrated into a variety of textile materials to facilitate sustainable mass production. Beyond sportswear, iActive™ is also well-suited to protective clothing and workwear for individuals engaged in prolonged, high-intensity physical labour and outdoor occupations, including healthcare professionals, construction workers, firefighters, law enforcement officers and others, thereby significantly enhancing their work performance.

Dr Shou Dahua stated, “The extreme weather and high temperatures resulting from global warming have elevated the importance of heatstroke prevention and cooling measures on a global scale. Drawing on the vivid phenomena of thermal insulation and directed liquid flow in nature, we aim to foster innovation and sustainable advancement in garment manufacturing by inventing intelligent clothing and materials to address global challenges. We seek to harness the power of technology to infuse fresh perspectives into the traditional clothing industry, thereby enhancing its competitiveness.”

His research team has also developed a premium fabric named Omni-Cool-Dry™, drawing inspiration from volcano dwelling beetles. This fabric not only provides ultra-fast sweat dissipation and ensures all-day comfort with its dry and breathable features under dynamic thermal conditions, but also reflects solar radiation and emits body heat into the cold universe, enabling passive cooling. The team is working hard to leverage the benefits of both inventions to further enhance the sweat-dissipating and cooling capability of iActive™ sportswear.

Dr Shou Dahua, a core member of the PolyU Research Institute for Intelligent Wearable Systems and the Research Centre of Textiles for Future Fashion, has recently been bestowed with the 2023 Distinguished Achievement Award by The Fiber Society for his outstanding contributions to the fields of personal thermal and moisture management, intelligent wearables and soft robotics. The accolade is presented annually to an individual researcher worldwide. He has also received international innovation awards, including consecutive TechConnect Global Innovation Awards in 2021 and 2022. Moreover, his research papers have been published in various internationally renowned academic journals including Science Advances, PNAS, Advanced Functional Materials, and Advanced Energy Materials. Dr Shou will be chairing The Fiber Society Spring 2025 Conference at PolyU.

Source Fashion, which takes place at Olympia London from 14th - 16th July 2024, continues to grow its presence of international exhibitors from new sourcing regions, including representation from southeast Asia and Africa.

The first Malaysian manufacturer to be represented at the trade fair is Kualesa Apparel. Kualesa started as a small seed of an idea, with a big ambition and an even bigger purpose. The brand has evolved from a simple set of values to a producer of great-looking and comfortable bamboo apparel that’s challenging fast fashion. Kualesa offer flexible MOQ’s ranging from 250 pieces to high production capacity of 50,000 pieces a month.

Fairs and More Inc from the Philippines returns to the show for a third time, bringing a pavilion of Filipino manufacturers and makers.

The show also welcomes its first ever Nigerian manufacturer, Beyond Clothing. Beyond Clothing is a garment factory, that specialises in crafting premium custom clothing, branded uniforms, corporate uniforms, and sublimated t-shirts. The range also includes promotional apparel, workwear, and PPE personal protective apparel for hospitals.

Returning to Source Fashion, Texpro Corp (a branch of Kassab Group) from Tunisia has grown rapidly to become a fully integrated apparel manufacturer certified with GOTS, BSCI, BCI, and OCS covering the complete production cycle focusing on sustainability through the process from fabrics to manufacturing, washing and dying. The company specialises in denim and flat garment manufacturing and the product portfolio includes casual dresses, shirts, jackets, pants and coats for men, women and kids. Texpro Corp are increasingly partnering with customers to ensure high consistent quality on the products and invest in innovation to help improve the environmental impact by consistently delivering responsibly produced products.

Visitors will also discover International Trade Center (ITC), who is returning with a pavilion that includes a debut area for Ghanian producers. With manufacturing in Ethiopia, Shints Co Ltd. is a global producer of high-performance outdoor clothing and camping equipment.

A strong contingency from Europe includes over 25 UK exhibitors, representation from France, Italy and Spain, and a selection of Portuguese exhibitors including Ttantos Textiles, FLM Textil, SMSenra and Lagofra.

Nearly 30 countries, including Peru, Cambodia, Pakistan, Hong Kong, Italy, and Greece will be represented. Large pavilions from China, India and Turkey have also been confirmed, as well as Tanzania, Madagascar and Nepal.

BUFF®, ein Anbieter von Kopfbedeckungen und Schlauchtüchern, setzt sein Engagement für die Umwelt fort und schließt sich mit CoolNet UV® der Initiative 1% For The Planet an.

Konzipiert für sportliche Aktivitäten bei Sonnenschein und hohen Temperaturen bietet CoolNet UV® UV-Schutz mit einem UPF von 50. Die Produktion erfolgt zu 95 Prozent aus recycelten Materialien wie Plastikflaschen am BUFF®-Hauptsitz in Barcelona. Insgesamt konnte Buff® bis heute mehr als 47 Millionen Flaschen recyceln und in hochwertige Materialien weiterverwerten. Das CoolNet UV® ist zudem mit der innovativen HeiQ-Kühltechnologie und antibakterieller Technologie von Polygiene ausgestattet, um Outdoor-Fans während intensiver Aktivitäten kühl und trocken zu halten.

Seit der Unternehmensgründung 1992 unterstützt BUFF® Organisationen wie Protect Our Winters oder die European Outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA), die sich für die Zukunft unseres Planeten einsetzen. Mit der Teilnahme an 1% For The Planet macht BUFF® einen weiteren Schritt in die richtige Richtung, indem die Marke mit gleichgesinnten Unternehmen mit einem gemeinsamen Ziel zusammenarbeitet: Menschen und Natur zu unterstützen.

Archroma has developed a new wet-fastness improver that helps brands and mills produce durable clothing, towels, linens and other textile products with long-lasting colors without compromising on quality or introducing hazardous chemicals.

ALBAFIX® ECO PLUS is a next-generation fixing agent that delivers a strong wet-fastness for all reactive dyes on cotton and other cellulosic fibers and polyester-cotton blends. It will not change the shade of the dyed fabric or negatively impact light-fastness. The product also avoids production challenges – such as foaming, acid hydrolysis and migration problems during drying – to promote efficiency and quality output.

ALBAFIX® ECO PLUS is suitable for jet applications, and for other dyeing and washing equipment with vigorous liquor circulation, and can also be applied by exhaustion, by padding or from the last bath of the soaping process after dyeing or printing.

Like ALBAFIX® ECO, the latest addition to the ALBAFIX® family has a positive influence on chlorine-fastness. When applied with double fixing, it achieves the same high performance on polyamide and PA/Elastane fabrics, as it does on cellulosic fibers. This makes it ideal for the production of swimwear, as well as sportswear and outdoor clothing.

ALBAFIX® ECO PLUS complies with global eco-standards and initiatives, including Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), bluesign® and the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) Roadmap.