Alibaba.com, a platform for global business-to-business (B2B) eCommerce, has revealed its top B2B buyer sports trends, following a successful exhibition at ISPO, the leading trade fair for the sports industry.
Last month, Alibaba.com attended ISPO in Munich and showcased key features from its platform, including livestream and virtual reality showrooms; spotlighted quality suppliers, and highlighted sector trends to buyers at the trade show.
Comparing data from its platform, Alibaba.com found that the total number of orders of smart fitness products increased by 51 per cent on a year-on-year basis. The most popular items in the category include all-in-one exercise machines, multifunctional abdominal wheels, and products leveraging cutting-edge technology such as a smart skipping rope equipped with APP intelligent connectivity. These products reflect growing consumer demand for multi-purpose, space-saving and efficient devices.
Meanwhile, Alibaba.com data also highlighted a heightened focus on sustainability amongst B2B buyers, with significant growth in the sustainable sport category. Items that featured sustainable materials – such as a 100 per cent biodegradable bio-based material yoga mat – were in high demand as buyers align with evolving consumer preferences ahead of the busy January fitness period. According to Deloitte, 64 per cent of consumers that live active lifestyles are willing to pay a premium for a product that is more sustainable, an increase of seven percentage points since 2019.
In the post-pandemic era, the revival of sporting events has driven growth in interest surrounding team sports. In fact, football/soccer-related products were identified as the most sought after, followed by basketball.
This has also been matched by growing demand for outdoor fitness. Year-on-year, Alibaba.com has recorded a 29 per cent increase in online trading gross merchandise value (GMV) for bicycles and a 19 per cent rise in cumulative online GMV for scooters. Growth in these categories has been driven by folding and cargo bikes, as well as folding electric scooters.
Roland Palmer, General Manager of UK, Benelux and Nordics, Alibaba Group, said: “Around the globe, consumers are increasingly demanding products that align with their evolving lifestyles, and this is no clearer than in the sports category. Over the last month, we’ve seen demand for smart and sustainable sports products amongst B2B buyers significantly increase as brands stock up on relevant products ahead of the January fitness boom.
“With a busy 2024 expected for sports, Alibaba.com – which has millions of products from suppliers from over 200 countries and regions – is the ideal sourcing platform of choice for the year ahead.”
Christoph Rapp, Head of ISPO Digitize at ISPO said: “We’re pleased to work with Alibaba.com. As a leading platform for global business-to-business commerce, it plays an important role in connecting buyers and sellers from across Europe. Its valuable insights into the sports category will enable more buyers to get ahead and unlock growth in 2024.”
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