Growth Continues Throughout the Tennis Industry
Tennis is continuing to show growth in many areas. Figures released by the USTA and TIA during the US Open, and shared with the industry during the inaugural TIA Tennis Forum in August (see page 17), show that trends are consistent across several categories of tennis equipment sales, and represent more than three years of continuous growth.
Some key Tennis Industry sales highlights (source: TIA census report) include:
- Year-end total racquet shipments in 2006 showed an overall increase in units of 1.8 percent over 2005. Since 2003, racquet shipments are up 29.7 percent.
- Youth racquet sales were up 2.8 percent in 2006 and have increased 48.9 percent since 2003.
- Racquet sales continue to increase in 2007, up 5.3 percent over 2006 for the first two quarters.
- Year-end total ball shipments in 2006 increased 8.1 percent in units over 2005 and are up 11.5 percent since 2003.
- Ball shipments in the first half of 2007 have increased .7 percent versus first half 2006.
Tennis Health Index
Also, the industry has created a “Tennis Health Index,” which will help to provide a variety of data on the overall state of tennis in the United States. The Tennis Health Index will combine a variety of tennis research sources in order to provide a series of checks and balances, rather than relying on a single measure.
The Tennis Health Index will be comprised of the following barometers:
- USTA/TIA Phone Survey—reaching 6,000+ households (14,000+ individuals)
- SGMA Online Partnership Survey—reaching 60,000+ individuals
- NSGA Participation Survey—reaching 10,000 household participants
- TIA Ball Shipments (in units)
- Grass Roots Monitor—monitoring court occupancy and program activity at more than 500 key tennis facilities in over 50 key markets throughout the U.S.
“Rather than using our USTA/TIA participation study as the sole barometer of growth, we will look at a variety of measures which will better enable us to see trends from year to year,” says Kurt Kamperman, the USTA’s chief executive of Community Tennis.
“The Tennis Health Index will be a tool that the tennis industry uses to proactively monitor the key components that will help tennis continue to grow in the years to come,” says TIA President Dave Haggerty.
TIA Update search
TIA Update items
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- Attention Tennis Providers: Update or Add Your Information Now at GrowTennis.com!
- 2011 State of the Industry Report
- Retailers: Stock Up On 10 and Under Tennis Balls
- 'Dashboard' tracks progress on 10 and Under Tennis
- Tennis Retail A Key Focus At Industry Meetings
- Simple Message to Serve As a Rallying Call for Industry Growth
- Tennis Providers: What Does PlayTennis.com Mean for You?
- Resources for TIA Retail Members
- Business Assessment Program for Tennis Retailers
