NPD Adds US Sports Equipment to Tracking Service

Retail information provider The NPD Group has expanded its Retail Tracking Service to provide a view of the US team sports equipment market, covering basketball, football, baseball, softball, soccer, hockey, racquet sports, golf and lacrosse.

The addition of team sports data, which includes three years of historical comparisons, builds on NPD's existing sports coverage of athletic apparel, footwear equipment, and accessories across the outdoor, running, cycling, paddle and snow sports industries. The new data will cover retail sales across the major consumer channels, including athletic specialty, sporting goods, national chains, mass merchants and eCommerce.

Jim Kelley (pictured), President of the firm's US Sports division, comments: 'The sports marketplace is evolving quickly, which means that insights and actionable, fact-based strategies, as well as a complete picture of the entire sports industry landscape, are critical in this competitive environment. NPD's new service allows clients to identify white space opportunities for growth in the marketplace, understand trends which will inform decisions around product development and demand planning, and know their strengths and vulnerabilities versus the competition'.

Web site: www.npd.com .