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INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Golf House opens new store in Bremen
Branch retailer and special mail-order dispatcher Golf House - based in Hamburg - opened its 15th stationary shop right now in Bremen. The stores in Hamburg and Berlin have moved to larger rooms of 800 and 1000 square metres respectively. Further enlargements and removals should follow this year.
In 2007, Golf House could increase its turnover significantly and made a plus of 16.5% with 27.5 million Euro. The company does not indicate the allocation of the turnover to stationary and mail-order business, but the distance retail has the same turnover as a larger outlet. Regarding the mail-order business, the Internet and classic mail-order sections are approximately the same.
Crocs opened first shop in Hamburg
The trendy shoes supplier Crocs realised its expansion plans in Germany and opened its first own shop in Hamburg on February 28 in the shopping centre Alsterarkaden. Moreover, the first shop-in-shop was opened in Mannheim, which is located in Engelhorn Sports, the market leader in this town. The Americans show their collection on a selling area of 45 square metres. Further shops managed by the brand itself will open soon: This spring, one more shop will follow in Cologne, others are planned this year in Europe and in other German cities.
Wintersteiger: Constant turnover
In 2007, Wintersteiger, market leader of ski services, faced a drop in turnover in its sports unit, which decreased about 7.4 per cent down to 41.5 million Euro. But the company compensated the minus in turnover by other units (machines for seed and wood processing), so that the overall turnover of 83.8 million Euro could be kept exactly as in the previous year. The result of the ordinary business activity was 10.5 million Euro or 12.5 per cent of turnover.
Also at Wintersteiger, Günther Kamml, Sales and Marketing Executive, will leave the company by end of April after ten years. His successor will be nominated soon. Moreover, a third position in the management team, responsible for finances, controlling, and human resources, will be created. These functions will take over the present confidential clerk Roland Greul.
Sporting goods market in Switzerland
As this winter season was much better than in the past year, Claude Benoit, boss of the Swiss retail association, calculates the sporting goods market should see 12 per cent rise in turnover. But in comparison to the past five years, the result for the season 2007/08 is only a three per cent rise.
The Swiss sporting goods market has to deal with the fact that the winter does not guarantee so much turnover any more - as the current season proves. After a really good start in December, the following months were very weak, but experts think that the season could be closed with a plus of 10 per cent. In the winter sports regions, the mood is very good because of enough snow and good conditions on the piste, but in the lowlands everything is green. It is possible that the sales of alpine skis could make a plus of 13 per cent, and the sales of snowboards a plus of 9 per cent and the sales of winter sports wear a plus of 6 per cent, if the temperatures keep cold until April. A good result was achieved with accessories: the sales of protective equipment and sporting goggles increased about 20 per cent.
Stationary shops sold very well. Moreover, they profited by the booming renting business of skis and snowboards which represents 15 per cent of the entire winter business.
Survey: Germans spend less money for sporting goods
The Germans want to spend less money for sporting goods this year - that is the result of the survey called "Europa-Konsum-Barometer 2008" (Consumption barometer Europe 2008) of the Dresdner-Cetelem Bank. Only 18 per cent of the citizens intend to invest their income in sporting goods, eight per cent less than in 2007.
According to the survey, the French spend most money on sporting goods. In 2007, they were in pole position with an estimated market volume of 9.1 billion Euro, followed by the English (7.9 billion) and the Germans (7.5 billion). Despite of the large market volume, Germany is not in the top three of the average costs per household. On the position is France with 352 Euro, followed by Great Britain with 298 Euro, whereas Germany is in sixth with 181, under the European average of 223 Euro.
