Triathlon Business International (TBI), the industry organization comprised of multisport retailers, manufacturers, service providers, vendors and triathletes, and dedicated to promoting the sport and the business of triathlon, has today announced the results of its February Business Confidence Survey conducted by MultiSport Research.
Much like a consumer confidence index, this survey provides a snapshot of the triathlon industry for a specific point-in-time.
TBI members were asked to respond to nine online questions, and survey responses were aggregated to create a picture of the current multisport business landscape and help businesses involved in the swim-bike-run industry better understand the forces that are shaping their businesses and customers.
“A surprising level of optimism was found in the responses,” said TBI President Jack Caress when reviewing the findings. “Given that current conversation among many of my colleagues seems to tend toward feelings that the industry is flat, this is very good news.”
A summary of the findings includes:
- 75% were ‘neutral’ to ‘very happy’ about current levels of customer demand
- 91% expect staffing levels for the next 6 months to be ‘the same’ or ‘increasing’
- 73% reported annual profits (EBIT) to be either static or to have increased year-on-year
- 49% reported an increase in annual profits up 6% to 21% or more
- Competition has increased, however, with 65% experiencing ‘slightly more’ or ‘significantly more’ competition
- 39% thought business conditions would be the same over the next 12 months
- 28% thought business conditions would be better in the year ahead; 23% thought they would be worse
- 57% thought retail prices would stay the same over the coming year; 28% thought they would go up
- 35% of respondents expected that their household would be better off over the next 12 months; 51% thought it would be the same
- 49% believed that economic conditions in the USA would be better in the year ahead; 37% thought it would be the same; and only 14% thought conditions would be worse
- Turning to the sport of triathlon itself, 47% thought that it would be at the same level in a year; 28% thought it would grow; 22% thought it would decline
“The survey certainly indicates that there are many reasons for businesses to be more cheerful than originally anticipated,” said Gary Roethenbaugh, Managing Director at MultiSport Research. “While challenges are there, the survey indicated that opportunities are also available.”
Triathlon Business International is ‘the world’s leading organization dedicated to promoting the sport and business of triathlon.’ Founded by a coalition of industry leaders, TBI’s mission is to leverage the knowledge, talent, and resources of the leaders in triathlon to the benefit of the sport by increasing and retaining advocates of triathlon and fostering a positive image of the sport.
TBI’s second Global Business Conference will be held on 9-11 July in Roth, Germany, in conjunction with Challenge Roth; and TBI will once again host its 25,000 sq ft Triathlon Pavilion at Interbike on 16-18 Septembe, 2015.
Founded in 2010, MultiSport Research is a specialist research and consulting firm to the international endurance sport industry. The company was born out of a personal passion for multisport. Immersed in the world of endurance sport, MultiSport Research is committed to delivering the most robust insights on all category trends. The company offers a wide range of services – from consumer and market research through to economic impact studies, product and consumer segmentation, pricing analyses, commercial due diligence, branding and strategy. MultiSport Research also produces triathlonbusiness.com, the dedicated news and information site for the international triathlon & endurance sport industry.
www.triathlonbusinessintl.com
www.multisportresearch.com
