Vietnamese spend $900K on equipment amid pickleball boom

Badminton player Le Tan in HCMC recently bought a VND2.5 million pickleball paddle. He said: "I bought a mid-range paddle as I am a beginner."

Phuong Thao, who started playing in April, has spent VND5 million on the sports. "I use the clothes I already have, but I know some people who spent several times more than I did to have the best look."

Pickleball, a racket sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton and table tennis, was invented in 1965 in the U.S. It is played on a smaller court than tennis and uses a lightweight ball with small holes.

Although the sport was introduced to Vietnam in 2018, it only became a craze at the beginning of this year. It is somewhat cheaper than badminton, a traditionally popular sport in Vietnam, with the wiffle ball being more durable than the shuttlecock.

Hoa Shop in HCMC’s District 3 has been selling pickleball equipment since February last year.

Sales have exceeded expectations this year, a store employee said. "Many pickleball players came from other sports such as badminton, tennis, table tennis, and golf. There are also many who have never played any sport."

On average, the basic equipment to start playing costs VND1.5 million, the person added.

The VND22.7 billion sales of pickleball-related items in the second quarter on the five major e-commerce platforms, Shopee, Lazada, Tiki, Sendo, and TikTok Shop, represented 150% growth from the previous quarter, according to data provider Metric. The biggest vendor on Shopee sold over VND1.5 billion worth of items.

In the first seven months this year around 200 new pickleball courts were established in Hanoi and several hundreds in HCMC. Many social media groups have been formed.

Hoa Shop’s group on Facebook has over 58,000 members, with 100-300 more being added every day. An employee said: "In summer up to 800 people joined the group on a single day. Many people were looking to buy paddles for the whole family,"

Pickleball's rapid rise in popularity can be attributed to several factors. The sport is easy to learn, does not require high levels of physical fitness and is a social activity.

Thao said: "I started playing because it looked interesting. I keep playing because it is perfect for someone like me who does not exercise regularly." She said playing the sport helps improve social relations with colleagues.

Pickleball’s growth has also been fueled by celebrity endorsements and its widespread presence on social media, which also drives up sales of online vendors.

Data from YouNet, a social media and e-commerce analytics platform, reveals that nearly 166,300 discussions about pickleball took place on Vietnamese social media platforms in August, a figure almost 19 times higher than in April. Most mentions were recorded on Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.

"Some young customers said they were inspired to try pickleball after seeing celebrities post on social media about how enjoyable the sport is and how many calories it burns," a vendor said.

The sport is also growing globally. In the U.S., the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) has named pickleball the fastest growing sport for three years straight. It said there were some 8.9 million players aged six or more in 2023, up from 4.8 million in 2022.

Pickleball has spread to Canada and a number of countries in Europe and Asia, and the global market is expected to grow by 9.8% annually to reach $71.47 billion in 2024 and $151 billion in 2032, according to Indian firm Market Research Future.