Pricing and Costs of Womens Activewear

How to plan your inventory of women's sportswear

By Lesley Graybeal
In a competitive and fast-paced world, activewear for women provides a functional and comfortable wardrobe for women leading busy lives. Women's activewear is a must for clothing retailers, and no longer includes just athletic clothing and shoes, but also women's casualwear -- clothes designed for fashion and comfort as well as moderate activity.

Pricing and costs of women's activewear typically reflects the level of activity. For instance, casualwear for women is typically the least expensive type of ladies activewear, while sports bras and shoes designed for running and other high impact training are the most expensive. Other factors may also increase the cost of women's activewear, such as the use of organic materials, which are especially popular in yoga apparel.

When calculating the pricing and costs of women's activewear, consider the following:
  1. Browse by activity and brand to compare prices of activewear for women.
  2. Expect a slight price increase from standard to organic materials.
  3. Price bras and shoes based on activity level.

 

Price women's activewear by sport and by brand

The most basic way of categorizing women's activewear for pricing is by activity and brand. Different sports and activities require different types of apparel, which affects the cost. Golf and tennis, for example, are typically the most expensive, with a top and bottom together typically costing $80 to $120. Winter sports, such as skiing, are also more expensive because of the added cost of an activewear jacket for $150 to $200.
Try: Compare women's sportswear prices by activity at title nine to get an idea of pricing and costs for skiing, yoga, running, gym workout, swimming and other types of women's sports. Londo Mondo allows you to research prices by brand, including specialty brands like Danskin (yoga and dance apparel) and Puma (track and casualwear).

Stock organic women's sportswear at a slightly higher price

A lot of women's active apparel now offers the option of buying organic. Typically, organic women's sportswear is made from organic cotton, which costs anywhere from $1 to $20 more per garment than standard cotton. Another organic option is bamboo fabric, which is soft like cotton and typically does not cost more. Women will be happy to see either type of organic option on store shelves as environmentally friendly shopping becomes more widespread.
Try: MSNBC explains the trend of organic clothing entering the mainstream as it has with women's sportswear and yoga apparel, and claims that the cost for organic clothing is comparable to that of standard cotton. The OrganicClothing.blogs.com uses a relatively inexpensive item, the tank top, to illustrate the difference in cost and explain the higher price of organic clothing.

Price women's casualwear and activewear by intensity level

Certain articles of women's sportswear, such as bras and shoes, may vary greatly in design and construction depending on the level of activity. These differences are translated to price. As a general rule, low, medium and high impact bras require a price increase of $10 to $20 as the level of activity increases, while the average price of women's shoes increases $20 to $40 from casual to intense activity.
Try: Sports Unlimited prices sports bras by low, medium or high impact, with low and medium impact costing $20 to $25 and high impact $30 to $60 or more. Women's casualwear shoes are the least expensive, and can be found at Scrubs Gallery or FootSmart for $30 to $120 for therapeutic models. Running and walking shoes are slightly higher, from $80 to $150. FootSmart also sells shoe inserts anywhere from $5 to $25.

 

  • When stocking sportswear for women, research your customer base and the types of activities offered in your area. While women's golf and tennis wear may generate profits in some areas, these high-priced items will be a costly deficit in areas where women don't have ready access to golf courses and tennis courts.

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