The 3 Types of Customers Athletic Wear Companies Are Going After

The athletic apparel industry is soaring. Longtime industry leaders Nike and Adidas are competing with relative newcomers Under Armour and Lululemon for consumers' dollars. The companies have identified which customers are the most lucrative—and are going after them.

Teens
Teens are increasingly buying gear from Nike and Lululemon over denim classics from brands like Abercrombie, according to a recent Piper Jaffray survey on teen spending.

Activewear now comprises 28 percent of teens' apparel purchases, up from 6 percent in 2008. Nike, Lululemon, Under Armour and Adidas are the most popular brands for athletic apparel.

Lululemon is expanding a sister brand called Ivivva...