Tenniscore sales rise in Challengers movie season

Clearpay has highlighted the rise of Tenniscore as a key trend for 2024 with the payments specialist’s data showing “that UK shoppers are serving looks (and aces) both on and off the court”.

The headline-grabbing driver of all this is Zendaya’s recent appearance in custom Thom Browne at the Challengers movie’s London premiere where she wore a red carpet version of tennis whites.

But with the world famous Wimbledon tournament just weeks away and a much wider summer of sport about to begin, the BNPL platform has seen a spike in sales of Tenniscore items more generally. 

It said skorts have risen by 134% year on year, and there’s been a 109% increase in sales of mini pleated skirts.

Clearpay said that sales of court dresses are up 35% year on year and cotton jersey jumpers have also seen a 126% increase in sales, with the movie a clear influence.

Tenniscore accessories and footwear have also been big hits this season with crew socks seeing a 20% increase in growth, and white trainers jumping by 27% among Gen Z.

Overall, in addition to the figures quoted above, it has seen 163% growth in longline sports bras, a 35% rise in sales of tank tops, polo shirts up 8%, and tennis skirts rising 16%.

It’s interesting to look at these items by demographic too as some have seen massive spikes among particular age groups. 

Gen Z, for instance, has seen a 476% rise in sales of longline sports bras, +213% for skorts, +45% for tank tops, +76% for cotton jersey jumpers, +124% for mini pleated skirts, +428% for cable knit sweaters, and +76% for cotton jersey jumpers. White trainers are even up 27% in an age group that, let’s face it, was pretty well sold on this item already.

Gen Y — or Millennials — are also embracing V-neck sweaters (+443%), skorts (+126%), cotton jersey jumpers and mini pleated skirts (both +92%), longline sports bras (+97%), and the other items on this list, as well as visors at +20%.

What’s perhaps even more interesting is that often-more-trend-resistant older generations are also going teniscore crazy. 

All of the key items are rising for Gen X with particular spikes for cable knit sweaters (+479%), cotton jersey jumpers (+142%), skorts (+54%), and mini pleated skirts (+86%).

And Baby Boomers have been buying 125% more mini pleated skirts too, as well as 207% more cotton jersey jumpers, 87% more white shirts, 47% more skorts, 42% more tank tops and 17% more polo shirts.