Weakness in outdoor, electronics and fitness was offset by improvements in golf, diversified and cycling, resulting in an overall sports equipment market that inched up just 0.2% in 2017 to $76,160 million from $75,985 million, following an anemic 1.4% gain the prior year. Retail bankruptcies were not as significant an issue last year as they were in 2016, but the resulting decrease in selling square feet in the marketplace has certainly taken a toll, despite growing wholesale sales to e-tailers and the brands’ own DTC efforts. U.S. sales declined 3.2% to $32,764 million from $33,849 million while international sales gained ... Log in to view full article.