Sportfachhandel: Intersport macht Tempo bei neuen Geschäften

Intersport, Germany's largest sports retail group, is expanding faster than initially planned, according to the union. Alexander von Preen, the chief executive of Intersport Deutschland, told the Deutsche Presse-Agentur that they aim to open 100 new stores by 2030, earlier than the original timeline. The company has already opened 13 new Intersport stores this year, including locations in Herford, Göttingen, Bochum, Schapen, Essen, Nürnberg, Cottbus, Freising, Bad Zwischenahn, and Nordhorn.

Preen expects to add more stores in the coming weeks, surpassing their initial goal of nine new openings set for the year. Overall, the union has opened 56 new stores in recent years, including expansions and rebrandings of existing shops. Intersport, comprised of about 700 retail outlets with 1,400 locations nationwide, plans to increase revenue from retail sales and acquisitions to about six billion euros by the end of the decade, aiming for a market share of around 30 percent.

The company is also launching new concepts, such as "Superstores" to cater to price-conscious consumers. Intersport aims to compete with Decathlon through its expanded network of premium stores and these family-oriented Superstores. Despite the recent World Cup, Intersport has sold over 600,000 jerseys, nearly a fifth more than in the domestic European Championship of 2024.

The company remains optimistic about growth, but acknowledges that external factors, such as consumer hesitance due to economic uncertainty, could impact sales. Intersport's fiscal year runs from October 1st to September 30th.