The Development Trend of the Sports Industry in France

As the COVID-19 epidemic spread around the world, the e-commerce penetration rate during the closure of France in 2020 rose from 86.1% to 88.7%, a record high. Online sports teaching courses are popular, and people are turning to buying dumbbells, yoga mats or stretch bands, etc., to exercise at home. In addition, to avoid close contact by taking public transportation, the number of people who switched to using bicycles, electric bicycles, or scooters as transportation also increased. The Paris government has also planned many bicycle lanes to cope with the growing number of bicycle users. It can be expected that the demand for buying bicycles or bicycle repairs will continue to increase.

Overview of changes in the lives of French people in the post-epidemic era:

• France has a population of 67 million, and about 30 million exercise regularly at least once a week. Among them are 14.5 million women whose favorite sports are hiking, cycling, swimming, bodybuilding, track and field, and yoga.
• After the implementation of the first wave of city closures, people in France were not allowed to go out. Family members stayed at home longer, so parents and children had a lot of time together and began to play various puzzle games, and exercise together.

An overview of the impact of the post-epidemic era on the French sports goods market:

• After the implementation of the first wave of the epidemic, the French government announced the "Bicycle Project", encouraging French people to use bicycles as a means of transportation. In May 2020, the plan was expanded to triple the use of bicycles and increase the number of bicycle users. 70,000 old bicycles were repaired in France within 20 days, with each repair cost being about 60 Euros. The French government hopes to train 500 bicycle mechanics every year and award certificates.
• Another important plan of the French government is to designate temporary bicycle lanes. Technical support will be provided by the "Risk, Environment, Mobile and Renewal Design Center" (CEREMA) to provide technical specifications and encourage provincial and county governments and their subordinates to allocate funds to this program. Total investment in this green project is expected to be as high as 1 billion euros.

Sports goods popular in France in the post-epidemic era:

1. Bicycle:
   In 2020, the value of bicycle sales increased by 10%, reaching 2.329 billion euros, and the sales volume reached 2.65 million. Examining the evolution of sales in the past 3 years, the trend is to reduce sales by 2%, but the overall sales value of bicycles continues to grow. In the bicycle sales market, not only did urban bicycles fell by 5%, and cross-country bicycles declined by 10%, but road racing bicycles increased by 9%, and electric bicycles became a hot-selling product with a substantial increase of 12% (388,000 units sold, accounting for 15% of bicycle sales, total sales of 677 million euros, a growth rate of 23%). The average selling price of electric bicycles is 1,749 Euros, which is the main product in the current bicycle market, accounting for 45% of the market rate. The electric bicycle market has only developed in recent years. Most people only use it as a tool for daily movement, but now it has slowly entered the world of sports bicycles, and the market has begun to grow.
   With the greater the efficiency, lighter weight, and longer endurance of bicycle motors, electric bicycles have attracted countless off-road bike enthusiasts. French people have also changed their buying mentality. They have begun to focus on quality and sustainability. The average selling price of bicycles has also increased due to the improvement of bicycle quality, rising from 364 Euros in 2018 to 566 Euros in 2019. Sales channels have not changed much. Chain retail stores account for 55% of sales, sports goods stores 33%, and e-commerce website sales 9%. At the beginning of 2020, bicycle sales in France increased significantly by 20% due to a transportation strike. However, the outbreak of COVID-19 suddenly cut off the momentum of development and 2,400 bicycle shops fell into the abyss overnight. The French Sports and Cycling Association made a preliminary assessment of the public crisis in the first half of the year. Later France lifted the closures on the city and implemented social distancing safety regulations. Municipal governments have designated special bicycle lanes and the central government has offered subsidies for electric bicycles to promote the bicycle market.
2. Golf:
   Many large-scale sports events in France have been canceled due to the epidemic. Members of the French Golf Association are operating about 700 golf clubs in all regions of the country, and about 100 small courses in city centers remain open. It is one of the few sports allowed under COVID -19 restrictions. After nearly three months of lockdown, nearly all golfers were eager to return to the courses and breathe fresh air. Although golf courses have benefited from the lifting of the ban and the return of customers and new members, the golf industry is still inevitably suffering economic losses.
3. Road running supplies:
   Hiking is the sports activity of walking or running in nature. Running and walking are some of the most important activities for French people. 40% of French people enjoy ocassional running or hiking. In the past 5 years, 35% of French people have been hiking, because the vast majority of French people like to exercise in nature. Hiking activities do not require special equipment and can be done individually. Combined with the rich natural resources all over France, there are many world-renowned walking and hiking routes, which promote the development of hiking, tourism, and sports in France.

Opportunities and transformation suggestions for Taiwan's sports goods industry in the post-epidemic era:

• In response to the epidemic, the French government adopted the closure of public places such as gymnasiums and indoor sports buildings to prevent the epidemic from spreading. This increased the popularity of online sports teaching courses. People started buying dumbbells, yoga mats or elastic exercise straps, etc. More and more people join online sports courses. Some gyms have moved the outdoors, and promoted individual classes such as boxing, which have led to an increase in the sales of various home sports products.
• To avoid close contact while taking public transportation, the number of people who use bicycles, electric bicycles, or scooters as transportation methods has also increased. The Paris city government has also temporarily planned many bicycle lanes in recent days to cope with the continuous growth. It is expected that the demand for buying bicycles or bicycle repairs will continue to increase.
• The Paris Bicycle Professional Exhibition (Pro day) was held in September 2020 to provide bicycle professionals the opportunity to display and purchase. The 2020 exhibition period was from September 20 to 22. Although it was affected by the epidemic, there were still 130 exhibitors exhibiting 400 brands. More than 1,800 bicycles were exhibited, and 3,200 professional buyers visited.
• The French Maritime Ship Show is the largest indoor ship exhibition in France. It showcases various sailing boats and jet skis, water sports, navigation equipment, the latest technology, boat rental services, tourism, and fishing. The 9-day exhibition in 2019 attracted a total of 150,000 professionals and more than 800 exhibitors from 25 countries.