The outlook for the US performance apparel market looks encouraging, according to a new report by Textiles Intelligence. Following a modest decline in 2009, sales recovered sharply in the early months of 2010.

The report, called "Fast track: US retail sales in six performance apparel sectors", cites data provided by Leisure Trends Group covering six sports sectors -- namely athletic apparel, outdoor, paddle sports, running, scuba diving, and snow sports.

Retail sales of sports products as a whole held up fairly well during 2009, given that the US economy was in recession for the first half of the year.

According to the data, total US retail sales in the six sports sectors declined by just 1% in value terms to US$11.4 mn in 2009. The decline reflected sales falls in four out of the seven sectors -- namely athletic apparel, outdoor, paddle sports.

Sales of apparel alone in 2009 fared somewhat worse, having fallen by 3%. As a result, the share of apparel fell by one percentage point to 47%.

During the first four months of 2010, however, there was a significant turnaround as total retail sales increased sharply in four of the six sectors.

• In the running sector, total retail sales rose by 16% while apparel sales within the sector rose by 10%.
• In the athletic apparel sector, total retail sales increased by 14%.
• In the paddle sports sector, total retail sales were up by 10% and apparel sales within the sector rose by 9%.
• And in the outdoor sector, total retail sales were up by 10% and apparel sales within the sector rose by 6%.

The only sector to suffer a decline in the first four months of 2010 was scuba diving, where sales were down by 2%.