1. Overall Industry Outlook: Structural Shifts Behind 15% Growth

In June 2025, the "Sports & Outdoor" category on TikTok Shop exhibited steady growth alongside internal restructuring. Total sales reached $85.985 million, marking a 14.61% month-over-month increase. Behind this number lies a deeper shift in market structure: on one hand, sales volume rose by 18.01%, outpacing revenue growth and indicating strong consumer demand; on the other, the average transaction price fell by 2.88% to $30.7, suggesting rising price sensitivity and a transition from scale-based expansion to quality-based competition.

From an operational standpoint, livestream sessions surged 61.66% to 8,539, emerging as the main growth engine. However, the number of active storefronts dropped by 18.70%, implying that smaller merchants lacking in content capabilities are exiting the market. This dual trend—higher livestream penetration and rising store attrition—reflects a new competitive logic: the era of relying solely on supply chain advantages is over. Now, content creativity and user engagement are the key factors determining survival.

Notably, despite overall category growth, market share increased only marginally by 0.21% to 2.54%, signaling that other categories may be siphoning off user attention. This presents both challenges and opportunities for sellers: while competition for limited traffic intensifies, declining dominance of top stores opens breakout opportunities for mid-tier players.

2. Price Band Competition: $20–$50 Dominates, Premium Products Break Out

1. Diverging Demand in the Mainstream Price Band

The $20–$50 range accounted for 50.6% of total sales, contributing $43.512 million in revenue and 1.361 million units sold, making it the most active zone in both supply and demand. This band thrives on a balance of necessity and affordability—products like sportswear and basic fitness gear fulfill everyday workout needs while staying within reach of mass consumers.

For example, the hot-selling Outdoor Wide-brimmed Sun Hat leveraged “sun protection + fishing” scenarios in its content marketing to drive $1.153 million in sales, showcasing the power of scenario-based storytelling in boosting mainstream product performance.

In contrast, the $50–$100 range brought in $14.842 million (17.3%) in revenue from just 213,000 units, indicating greater price sensitivity. Products in this tier—like mid-size fitness equipment and camping gear—primarily target urban white-collar consumers aged 25–35, who value quality but are budget-conscious. Promotional campaigns, such as TikTok Shop’s “Summer Outdoor Festival,” played a key role in boosting sales in June.

2. High-End Market Potential Emerges

A standout trend is the rise of premium offerings: the >$500 segment generated $2.641 million in sales, with a 67% month-over-month growth, despite having only 3,492 units sold. These high-ticket items include professional diving equipment and smart fitness watches, appealing to affluent males aged 35–45 who care about technological features and brand image.

For instance, the New Solar Powered Outdoor Fishing Hat, equipped with solar charging and smart temperature control, achieved $1.057 million in sales by targeting professional outdoor enthusiasts and leveraging tech-focused short video content to build credibility.

3. Subcategory Growth Drivers: Fitness Equipment and Water Sports Take the Lead

1. Fitness Equipment: Innovation Fuels Upgraded Demand

The fitness equipment subcategory recorded $21.623 million in sales with 13.52% growth, becoming a core growth engine powered by home workout trends, product innovation, and content-driven selling.

One standout example is the MERACH Adjustable AB Trainer Machine, which used a “30-Day Abs Challenge” livestream to sell 21,000 units and generate $1.378 million, proving the effectiveness of the “visualized features + outcome promise” content formula in this category.

Market segmentation is also emerging: while basic dumbbells and yoga mats face fierce competition, smart products with features like resistance adjustment and motion tracking command 42% higher average prices and 28% higher repurchase rates, indicating consumers are willing to pay for innovation.

2. Water Sports Gear: Explosive Growth Driven by Season + Content

The water sports subcategory experienced 105.17% month-over-month growth, reaching $2.305 million in sales, driven by seasonal demand and viral content.

Take the High Waisted Swimsuit as an example—it paired “beach visuals + body shaping” themes in its videos to sell 22,000 units and generate $876,000, combining fashion and lifestyle content to convert viewers into buyers.

Camping and hiking equipment also performed well, with $6.198 million in sales and 23.99% growth. A key trend here is the popularity of lightweight gear: products under 1kg accounted for 63% of sales, underscoring consumers’ preference for portability and convenience.

4. Strategic Insights: From Content Operations to Supply Chain Precision

1. Content Marketing Enters an Era of Precision

While total video volume grew 26.75% to 52,000, platform data shows that conversion rates between average and top-performing content can vary tenfold, underscoring that quality beats quantity.

Successful content strategies follow three patterns:

• Scenario storytelling: e.g., “Office recovery” for massage gear or “Camping checklist” for outdoor tools;
• Quantified benefits: e.g., “30 days with smart jump rope boosted heart rate by 15%”;
• Interactive livestreams: features like real-time Q&A or giveaways significantly increase watch time.

2. Smart Product Selection and Flexible Fulfillment

The 14% drop in actively selling products signals a shift from "flooding the market" to targeted product selection. We recommend the "3 Highs + 1 Low" strategy:

• High-growth subcategories (e.g., water sports gear);
• High-repeat-purchase items (e.g., sports accessories);
• High-margin products (e.g., >$500 equipment);
• Low inventory risk, best managed through pre-sale mechanisms.

For example, the rising store EOMENIE focused on fitness equipment and saw a 78.8% sales increase, thanks to a 48-hour fulfillment window, allowing rapid response to trending products.

Additionally, consider the “1 + N” product bundling strategy: 1 low-priced ($10–$20) lead magnet item to attract traffic, plus N mid- to high-priced products ($20–$50, >$500) to drive profit. This combo reduces acquisition cost and serves multiple consumer segments, improving store survival by 37%.

5. Future Trends and Business Recommendations

Looking ahead to H2 2025, the Sports & Outdoor category is expected to exhibit three key trends:

1. Product smartification: devices with sensors and app integration may grow from 18% to 30% share;
2. Scenario diversification: niches like “pet-friendly fitness” or “senior-friendly sports” may emerge;
3. Professionalization of content: videos featuring certified trainers or athletes convert significantly better than those from ordinary creators.

Seller playbook:

• Content: Build “expert persona + vertical storytelling” setups—e.g., hiring retired athletes to demo fitness gear;
• Product: Focus on water sports and smart equipment, while preparing for winter trends (current sales only $79,000, but growing 146%);
• Operations: Adopt a full-funnel approach—“short video awareness + livestream conversion + private domain repurchase”; private domain users repurchase at 3x the rate of public traffic;
• Supply Chain: Establish agile production partnerships and maintain 30% safety stock for hot products. In June, stockouts in the camping category led to $1.2 million in lost sales—inventory planning is mission-critical.

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