GOALS | Women’s #SportsBiz’s Post

The value of the Women's Sports Merch market is $4 billion While viewership and attendance in women’s sports have reached historic highs. 📈 Manufacturers have failed to keep up with these increasing demands. Which presents a huge market opportunity. This data was included in a recent report delivered by Klarna in partnership with Sports innovation Lab. Here’s the key takeaways 👇 👕60% of women’s sports fans have wanted to buy merchandise but couldn’t because of a lack of inventory. 👕79% of fans said they would buy more women’s sports merchandise if it was available. 👕For every nine pieces of merchandise for men’s sports, there’s one for women’s sports. 👕There is a particularly glaring disparity in hats, with 66 times more NBA options than WNBA offerings. 👕67% have bought women’s sports merchandise without attending a live sporting event. What’s overwhelmingly clear is there is far more demand than supply. Manufacturers and retailers are leaving money on the table. Teams and leagues are losing out, too. Women’s sports continues to move in a very progressive way and rapid direction. So, if you're not jumping on the bandwagon now, it might be too late. Link to the full report in the comments. 👇 P.S. Follow me (Chris Swadling) for more sports business content! #sports #sportsbiz #linkedinsports

If you're trying to target Gen Z, you need to know which brands to focus on. AdAge has identified the top 20 brands that have made an impact on Gen Z in January 2024. These brands have managed to capture Gen Z's attention with their innovative marketing strategies, inclusive messages, and commitment to social responsibility. Here are the top 10: 1. Glossier 2. Fenty Beauty 3. Adidas 4. Nike 5. American Eagle 6. H&M 7. Forever 21 8. Brandy Melville 9. Urban Outfitters 10. Sephora Keep an eye on these brands and see how you can apply their tactics to your own brand to effectively reach this demographic. Check out the full list of the top 20 brands in AdAge. #GenZ #Marketing #Brands #AdAge

I was thrilled to read about the recent study valuing the women’s sports merchandise market at an astounding $4 billion. The journey to this milestone has been marked by passionate fans like Ali Krieger, who faced challenges finding jerseys of her favorite athletes. This highlights not just a frustration but an economic opportunity that’s been overlooked for far too long. Ali's persistence in searching for a Sue Bird jersey back in 2016 underscores a broader issue in women’s sports—fans are eager for more options that genuinely cater to them. The demand for diverse, well-designed women's sports merchandise is undeniable, and now the supply needs to meet it. It’s inspiring to see initiatives like Klarna’s women’s sports destination and their collaboration with Togethxr to create limited-edition merchandise. These efforts not only provide fans with what they've been asking for - but also drive awareness and support for women's sports. #WNBA #Merchendise #UnderservedMarket #HighPotential

💡Did you know: for every 9 pieces of men’s sports merchandise that is available in the US, women’s sports only has 1? 🤯 Today, Klarna announced Rep Her – a global initiative to raise awareness around the gender gap in the sports merchandise market and introduce a more accessible way for millions of fans to shop smarter and fan harder. In partnership with fan intelligence company Sports Innovation Lab, Klarna has released a first-of-its-kind global report titled Rep Her: Revealing the Unmet Demand for Women’s Sports Merchandise. The report reveals the women’s sports merchandise market to be valued at $4 Billion per year. To address the booming demand from fans in the US, Klarna has teamed up with female Olympian-founded company TOGETHXR and 2x World Cup Champion, ESPN Analyst Alexandra Krieger to launch limited edition merchandise and a new women’s sports shopping hub on Klarna.com. And in the UK, we have partnered with global football media brand, COPA90, to launch custom merch for sale on the first dedicated women’s football retail site, Foudys. Read more: https://lnkd.in/g4PJE4w5 Read the report: https://lnkd.in/gPp4v3KC

Women’s football merch ☀️ Taking a moment to reflect on Karen Dobres’ and Charlotte Colbert’s work and the incredible Lewes FC X Charlotte Colbert collab on shirts and merch this pre season. ⚽️ Pay gaps, investment gaps and marketing gaps are not the only gaps in women’s sports (there’s sadly as we know a long list!) Research from Klarna and Sports Innovation Lab has also shown we have a merch gap (not surprising, as a woman who likes football, I can only think of one or two instances were I felt I was being targeted as a customer). In their research, 80% of respondents said they would buy more women’s sports merchandise if they could. ☀️ As a feminist pop artist, it was important for Charlotte to cater to the women’s market and through the design and also the campaign, both the club and the artist had girls and women at the heart of it. 🫶🏻 It’s been fun to do this over pre season. The opportunity to work with Charlotte Colbert was a great one, finding space in between seasons was a great time to be experimental. 💎 At this point in time, commercialising women’s football feels a bit like activism. Proving we can be financially sustainable while being proud of our quirks and differences is everything. Shop the full collection here: https://lnkd.in/ebHT3m3J

Did you know that for every 9 pieces of men’s sports merchandise available in the US, women’s sports only has 1? 🤯 Did you know that 60% of fans shopping for women’s sports merch ended up not buying because they couldn’t find what they wanted? 🤯 The gap between men’s and women’s sports merch is huge, the untapped potential is huge, and the money being left on the table is huge… $4 Billion annually. I’m excited to share Klarna's latest efforts to support women’s sports with the launch of Rep Her — a global initiative to raise awareness around the gender gap in the merch market and introduce a better way for fans to shop smarter and fan harder. Proud to have teamed up with fan data powerhouse Sports Innovation Lab to release a first-of-its-kind global report — Rep Her: Revealing the Unmet Demand for Women’s Sports Merchandise. And, Klarna is walking the walk by releasing custom merch collections in partnership with TOGETHXR and Alexandra Krieger in the US and COPA90 and Foudys in the UK. 📣 Big shout out to my insanely talented team that made this happen Allie Weiller Kimberly Gibbs Kirschner Juliann Kane Cameron Yates Iona Haig Olivia Eaton and all the great partners who have rallied around this with us! Looking forward to continuing to prove that it’s good business to invest in the women’s sports business. Rep Her report here: https://lnkd.in/gWaXYAE3 #RepHer #Klarna #WomensSports

People WANT to buy women’s sports merchandise, but they have been stunted due to the lack of optionality and accessibility. Sports Innovation Lab just estimated the massive market for women’s sports merchandise to be a whopping $4 Billion, much of which is yet to be capitalized on. Sports Innovation Lab, Klarna & TOGETHXR recently came together to light a fire, bring the data, and encourage the industry to solve the systemic problems that exist as barriers in the women’s sports merchandise industry. Let’s create a future where we can all easily and proudly “Rep Her.” Download the full “Rep Her” report, which arms the industry with real data to fuel sustainable change: https://hubs.la/Q02F9KGP0 Shop Klarna’s Women’s Sports Merch Hub (featuring their new line with Togethxr…🔥) https://hubs.la/Q02F9DXt0 👏🏾👏🏻👏🏿This is a movement, not a moment. #RepHer

Have you downloaded Rep Her yet??? See the data, and use it to make a business case to your suppliers to increase inventory, push license holders to be more creative and open-minded with their marks, or maybe start a new merch business yourself! With a $4BILLION in market opportunity there is NO REASON not to do MORE in women's merch! #RepHer Klarna TOGETHXR #womenssports #sportsmerchandise #sportsbusiness

Increasingly, younger athletes are picking up on the idea that they can own their audience, output, and opportunity by leveraging partnerships paired with athlete-forward endorsement opportunities. This trend has only accelerated with the introduction of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL), and will continue to play out over the coming years. It's a great time for creator-focused brands to partner with these creators as they build their audience vs waiting until the audience is already established. We see an even greater opportunity to be the thread that ties it all together! https://lnkd.in/dDtu8tE9

I've written a piece for ADWEEK about the opportunities presented to sports retail brands in developing their women's sports offering. At the moment, sports apparel for women is often uncomfortable, impractical and under researched to cater to women's bodies. It's time to redesign, innovate and invest in sports clothing and equipment for women. Check out the article below... Yonder Consulting