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Activewear sales are in a boom phase, according to the latest findings from Roy Morgan Research.

Some 1.6 million Australian adults (8.1% of the population) purchase activewear in an average four-week period.

This up from 1.3 million (7.0%) in 2011.

It represents an extra 300,000 people purchasing this kind of clothing per four weeks.

The dollar-value of the sportswear market has also increased in this time.

Between October 2010 and September 2011, Australians spent $1.1 billion on sportswear; as of September 2016, they are parting with $1.5 billion per year.

While Generation X accounts for the largest share (31.6%) of total dollars spent on sportswear, this is considerably less than their share back in 2011 (35.9%).

In contrast, Generation Z’s contribution to Australia’s total annual outlay on sportswear has almost doubled in the same period, from 14.2% to 26.4%.

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Of course, back in 2011, Gen Z was aged between six and 20 years old; flash forward to 2016, and they’re now between 11 and 25, so there are more of them in the market for sportswear.

Baby Boomers are the only other generation that have grown their share of the total dollars spent on sportswear (currently, they account for 18.6% of total dollars spent, up slightly on 17.9% in 2011).

Roy Morgan Research industry communications director Norman Morris said while 75% of activewear buyers play sport, the growth of athleisure wear has supported the boom.

"Spearheaded by brands like Lululemon, Lorna Jane and Nike, and collaborations such as Stella McCartney and Adidas, ‘athleisure’ wear —or chic active-wear—has been on the rise for some years now.

"Australia is no exception: not only are more people purchasing sportswear in an average four-week period, but the value of this retail category is increasing.

"And it looks set to continue its upward trajectory: whereas an old pair of tracky-dacks may once have been acceptable gym wear, it’s now almost de rigueur to look good while exercising.

“In fact, some athleisure garments are so stylish they double as streetwear.

"Celebrities like Beyonce and Kate Hudson have their own active-wear ranges, while others, like Gigi Hadid and the Kardashians, are regularly snapped wearing their designer sportswear out and about.

"No doubt this celebrity dimension would have something to do with the trend’s appeal to young Aussies from Gen Z.

“As we’ve seen, Generation Z now accounts for much more of the total dollars spent on sportswear than they did in 2011, due both to the increasing numbers of them buying it and the fact that they are spending more on it than they were back then.

"In fact, the average four-weekly expenditure by a Gen Z sportswear buyer is $76, up from $68 in 2011, and second only to Generation X ($80).

“Roy Morgan data confirms that exercise and sports participation decline with age, and people from Gen Z are not only the most active of the lot, but the only generation to have seen a rise in participation over the past few years.

"They are also much more likely than other generations to agree with key statements such as ‘I wear clothes that will get me noticed’ and ‘It’s important to look fashionable’, which goes some way to explaining why athleisure wear is such a hit with them.

“The challenge for sportswear retailers and brands will be to retain these customers as they age, when life starts getting in the way and their sporting activities and fashion-consciousness taper off."

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