The 2019 Athletic Business Purchasing Survey shows what professionals in athletics, fitness, and recreation have been spending on.

Athletic Business is one of the leading magazines in the US devoted to the multibillion-dollar industry. Its readership represents schools, health clubs, wellness centers, recreation departments, sports facilities, architecture firms, and more. The 2019 survey has painted a picture of how industry professionals have allocated available resources and handled their budgets in the past year.

The concluded 2019 Athletic Business Purchasing Survey tapped 1,075 of its readers. 31% of the respondents worked for colleges and universities, while 25% worked for high schools. The rest hailed from public and municipal agencies, non-profits, private companies, the military, and other backgrounds. A majority of 49% of respondents worked primarily in athletics, while 28% worked in recreation. 60% of the respondents reported no major change in their budgets for 2019. 27% reported a budget increase, and 13% saw a decrease.

Most people prioritized facility improvements as the most important expenditure, followed by equipment. When asked for their most satisfying recent purchase, most pointed at fitness equipment followed by synthetic turf. When purchasing products, 33% valued reputation over price, while 30% prioritized price.

32% of the respondents said that facility improvements represented their largest expenses last year in 2018, and 39% anticipated facility improvements to top their expense lists. When asked to elaborate, the readers reported various projects ranging from renovations and resurfacing tracks, fields, and pools to constructing brand new arenas and stadiums. 32% of respondents have a major construction project planned for the next five years, while 28% have major construction projects underway. 50% of those preparing for new construction projects have budgets of less than $5 million, while 10% will work with a budget of $20 million or more.

The survey asked readers what drives their purchasing decisions, and a significant majority of one-third cited the economy as the most significant factor. This was followed by innovations, sustainability concerns, and programming trends—in order of importance. Read Athletic Business’ full article for more details about the survey’s findings and implications.

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Photo Credits:

Images are from Athletic Business and Technogym.