Country Code – France
In the sixth part of SGB Golf’s exclusive series of country summaries taken from the BGIA’s report, The European Golf Apparel and Footwear Market, we take a glimpse at France.
Published: 17 December, 2009
There was a boom of golf course development in France in the late 1980s and early 1990s: in 1980 there were 128 golf courses in France; in 1990 there were 378 and by the end of 2008 there were 567. The number of French golfers rose accordingly, to 400,000 registered players last year, but this still represents only 0.62% of the population (whereas 44.8% of French people undertake cycling in some form). However, thanks to successful recruitment by the French Golf Federation, women golfers make up 30% of the indigenous golfing population, which bolsters the domestic apparel market.
With golf course development grinding to a virtual halt in France since the turn of the Millennium, the country’s golf growth has slowed, with an inevitable knock-on effect on golf retailing. The economic downturn has made it harder for brands to prosper in France and the golf market has become increasingly price sensitive, a trend that is stimulated by the success of the Decathlon sports retail chain, which specialises in providing a wide range of sporting goods at discounted prices.
The BGIA’s new three-part study into the European Golf Apparel and Footwear Market was launched at Golf Europe and it is available to purchase. Please email info@bgia.org.uk or call 02476 414 999 x207 for full information, prices and to request executive summaries.
