As the global active wear industry continues to grow, more companies are moving into the space. Online searches for leggings with pockets were up 180 per cent in the last three months of 2019, while searches for zip leggings rose 76 per cent over that same period. Leggings have become a key staple of the modern wardrobe. Now leggings come almost entirely of virgin plastic. Leggings are used for both working out and everyday wear.

Nordstrom and Macy’s have added more products and more drops to their private label active wear brands — Zella for Nordstrom and Ideology for Macy’s. There is a high demand for private label active wear within department stores. Fast fashion company Nasty Gal dropped its first active wear collection consisting of leggings, sports bras, tees and swimsuits. Fitness studio SoulCycle is ramping up its own retail operation.

Some companies that are strictly in the active wear space, and have been since the beginning, are trying out different partnerships and business models to stay ahead of competition. For example, Bandier entered 2020 with seven retail locations and plans to open more throughout the year. In 2019, the company’s revenue grew 60 per cent year over year.