The mid-teens contraction in sporting goods retail floor space is clearly a result of the shift to online retailing more than anything else, and sporting goods appears to be one of the retail sectors that is most vulnerable to this disruption. Forester International, a leading consultant in digital retailing, puts the penetration of e-commerce in sporting goods now at about 17%, well above the 12% that is the average for most retail businesses. Further, it believes that most retailers that survive the transition to omni-channel retailing will need to achieve something like 20% penetration of e-commerce in the medium term.

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