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The Statistics Department estimates that in the spring, specifically in April, the price of imported goods increased by about 15% compared to the same period last year. Throughout the year, prices of non-euro area imports increased further, by as much as 27%.
“The prices of sporting goods are likely to continue to rise gradually this year, as the reasons for the appreciation of these products continue to be the high prices from China, the growing global demand for such products, allowing manufacturers to increase their more expensive prices and raw materials.
Unfortunately, the pandemic has affected everyone in the world in the same way and we are directly feeling the changes in global trade ”, says Marius Petroševičius, Head of Wholesale and Triangular Trade UAB Mportas.
Data from traders show that during the year more – more than 20 percent. – Prices of metallic sporting goods, non-exercise machines, weights, and bars went up. The most popular small sports equipment has risen in price by around 15 percent.
“All sporting goods are increasingly expensive, for example, the exercise bike cost 83.50 euros a year ago, and this year its price is already 99 euros.
The aerobics mat was available in our store last year for 9.50 euros, and this year the price has already risen to 11.13 euros.
Last year, the set of sports tires cost 7.57 euros, while this year we have to pay 8.99 euros “, the report quotes Brigita Juršaitė, director of operations of the e-shop Imu perku.
According to the e-shop representative, no cheaper sporting goods position was recorded during the year.
According to B. Juršaitė, the amount is mainly used to buy small and inexpensive sports equipment, which would be convenient to use and store at home, which would not take up much space. These are aerobic mats and rubber resistance balls. In summer, products for sports and outdoor leisure are more actively purchased: volleyball, basketball, soccer balls, heart rate monitors for running, badminton, outdoor tennis rackets.
Statistics Lithuania estimates that last year the turnover of sporting and leisure goods in Lithuania increased by 9.4%. This sharp increase was mainly due to the restrictions imposed by the pandemic: closed sports clubs, work at home, leisure only in the immediate vicinity, as well as higher purchasing power and demand for all goods.
According to M. Petroševičius, most sporting goods are produced in China and transported by ship to Europe and other countries. The demand for a wide variety of products in the world has grown so much that there is a massive shortage of ships and containers to transport them from China to the United States and Europe, where their demand is greatest.
“The usual price to transport a container from China to the port of Klaipeda was around 1,500 euros. Last fall, prices had already risen slightly to € 2,000. And this year we hit a record: it costs 13,000 euros to take a container to Lithuania. Throughout the history of our activity, we have not found such prices and this is not necessarily the upper limit ”, says M. Petroševičius.
Traders point out that delays in goods are also much more frequent these days, as Chinese ports do not have time to load ships or do not have containers to load goods.
Rising prices for sports equipment are also influenced by the more expensive raw materials from which they are made. For example, steel cost 54 percent in April this year. more than in April of last year, currently their prices have fallen slightly and are around 10-15 percent. higher than last year.
