Peculiarities of the National Love of Sports
by Olesya Butsenko

If one analyzes the passion Ukrainians have for sport clothes, one might come to the conclusion that few countries in the world have such a huge number of teenagers (and adults) proudly wearing sports trousers, tennis shirts, shorts, running shoes and so on. Most of the clothes bear familiar world brand names although knock-offs also abound. However, this does not mean that all Ukrainians follow a very healthy way of life. Using sportswear is common, but using bicycles or walking is not. Passion for possessing cars is extremely high among Ukrainians and that explains why Kyiv has an unusually small number of bicyclists compared with other Western countries. 

Let’s look at the sporting goods market – in the context of preparations for the Olympics in Greece. The majority of sporting goods are bought through networks of specialty sport stores, department within a large market or department store, special sections within supermarkets. Fake or real, all brands are made in the sweatshops in developing countries and also in Ukraine and await their consumers on the shelves of various shops and bazaars, with price ranges suiting every pocket. Yet, foreign producers of sporting goods have yet to become very involved with Ukrainian vendors since the Ukrainian market is still “very small” for them. Therefore, companies importing the goods continue to fight for customers. Some retailers try to hold on to customers by offering special services like after-purchase assistance.

Sporting good retailers also find the market very competitive for other reasons. Competitive pricing means thrifty clients can find discounts of up to 15-20% on previous-year items. In the sports accessories market, 80% of the products are of foreign origin. Customers seem willing to purchase high value, or perceived value, even at high prices. This is considered a new market in which many retailers expect to expand their businesses.

Retailers have recently noted a marked increase in demand for specific training apparatus for amateur skiers. All current ski equipment in Ukraine is produced abroad. The major producers of ski equipment are in Austria, France and Germany, and of snowboard production in Norway and Germany. The two main reasons for foreign dominance in this market are lack of interest by home manufacturers, and, more importantly, the slow development of Ukrainian hill health resorts.

Some especially vibrant sales of ski equipment occur in the summertime. Only about 20% of ski goods are on display in this time, so the selection is quite small. However, the discounts, running from 30-50%, lure many customers. A considerable part of Ukraine’s “second-hand” market in ski equipment is imported illegally, generally from Poland into western Ukraine. According to data collected by market experts, illegal imports represent 20% of all imported goods. Most of the illegal imports are sold by small local wholesalers who find out about the goods through the Internet.

An interesting question – are the Ukrainians curious about where and in what conditions the sportswear they buy are being made? No. We are just consumers. Then comes the next question – what is the quality of our consumption? Are the health indicators of Ukrainians taking a positive turn as a result of excessive use of sportswear? No. We are just but socially and politically unconscious consumers.