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Sympatex: General Manager Dick Velings leaves the company
Dick Velings will quit his position as general manager for Sympatex Technologies (Munich) at the end of August, where he is responsible for finance, research, purchase and disposition. His successor in the R&D section will be Martin Friedrich, who is already responsible for sales and marketing.
Udo von Reinersdorff will take over the direction of the sections finances and purchase/disposition as the new general manager on September 1. In addition to this new position, he will continue to be general manager of the Sympatex-parent company, Plouquet Holding GmbH.
Falke: Generation change
After nearly 40 years as Business Director, Hans-Georg Menke (72) has left the company. His position will be taken over by Andreas Soeffker. The 47-year-old came to Falke from Odloin 2004 and took over sales of Falke sports. Later, he additionally became responsible for the marketing and since last summer for international sales, too. A successor for Soeffker as Sales Manager has not yet been appointed.
Soeffker now directs the entire stockings and sports section, whereas Otto Dörner will manage the section outerwear section.
Boot-Doc-distribution: Dalbello displaces Atomic
Dalbello now controls the worldwide distribution of the Austrian insole-supplier Boot-Doc (Liezen). Previously, Atomic was Boot-Doc’s worldwide distribution partner.
Due to a special foot-scan system that will be presented at the summer-Ispo, Boot-Doc promises a 100% individual production of insoles for all of its shoe types. Further, by means of a foot analysis a database is not able to select the most suitable shoe model.
Intersport Germany: Kim Roether is new President
The supervisory board has found a successor for the President of Intersport Germany, Hartmut Fröhlich, who will retire by the end of this year. The appointment of the Chiquita-manager Kim Martin Roether, saw the control board reject two ideas – an intern solution and the possibility to appoint co-President Klaus Jost to the position of superior CEO. The dual leadership as it exists since 1980 survives.
Currently, Roether is board member for finances, human resources, IT, controlling and law at the German fruit-logistician, Atlanta AG, an affiliated company of the North American Chiquita-group. The 43-year-old gained experience in the sporting goods industry and with medium-sized retailers during his time at the bike-supplier Derby Cycle, where he worked for eight years. Roether will start to work for Intersport Germany on October 1.
Sport Scheck: Good results in online business
Sport Scheck is contented: Despite the bad winter, the overall turnover of the Otto-affiliated company decreased only 0.6 %. The mail-order business could be extended about 6 %, while the stationary retail decreased about 4 %. The overall turnover of the company amounted to 289.7 million euros last year, whereas the relationship from the stationary retail to the mail-order business is about 184.7 million to 105 million euros. According to a speaker for the General Management, Stefan Herzog, the summer business, stimulated by the Soccer’s World Cup, was up 3% on 2005 figures. In the winter business, Sport Scheck made a 10% loss.
The Soccer World Cup had an impact on the turnover in the unit sports textiles, which was 25% better than in the previous year. The business with children’s articles developed very positively, too. The fashion section decreased about 20%. Herzog said: “We focalised again, after two years on sports and not lifestyle.” This statement is the strategic justification for the decreasing turnovers in the section fashion in stationary sales.
The management attributes the positive development in its mail-order business to its alliances with Otto and Amazon. With their help, Sport Scheck is now present in the best internet locations. The client card ‘Clubcard’, which started last March, is now employed by 345.000 clients. 34% of the stationary retail is now handled by this card.
Due to e-commerce: Otto announces record result
The business group Otto Group has announced for the past business year –2006/07 – (end: February 28), a record result. Turnover has increased about 4.7%. The earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) achieved with 848 million euros – a record result. Before taxes, the result increased about 10.6%, up to 507 million euros. In Germany, the Otto Group, which also owns the sporting goods chain, Sport Scheck, could increase its turnover about 3.8% up to 7.09 billion euros.
The online business, in particular, is said to be responsible for this increase. According to own information – worldwide Otto is the second largest online retailer, behind Amazon and has the pool position in Germany with an inland turnover of 2.8 billion euros.
The entire section retail with the channels catalogue-dispatching, ecommerce and stationary business increased only slightly about 0.2% up to 9.21 billion euros.
