Sustainability and trade in the sporting goods industry: a bibliometric scoping review (2015-2025)

This study provides a bibliometric scoping review of sustainability and trade in the sporting goods industry, following established scoping review methodology and PRISMA-ScR guidelines. The review analysed 37 peer reviewed articles published between 2015–2025 that simultaneously address sustainability, trade, and the sporting goods industry. The sustainable development paradigm provided the normative underpinning of integrating economic, environmental and social sustainability in the sporting goods trade. Frequency analysis reveals a growing multidisciplinary interest in the topic. Qualitative content analysis shows that sustainability is predominantly framed through social concerns, particularly labour standards and CSR practices, with trade often treated as a structural backdrop rather than an active shaper of sustainability. Key actors include among others, global sporting goods brands, suppliers, NGOs, and states. This review is among the first to provide a comprehensive synthesis of research on trade and sustainability in the sporting goods industry and outlines directions for enhancing theory.