The INTERSPORT brand will be emotionalised and dynamised as it intensifies its profile with „Sport to the People“

INTERSPORT is a success story: Since the beginning of the sporting goods retail organization 41 years ago, INTERSPORT is worldwide the number 1 sports retailer. INTERSPORT International Corporation (IIC), with its headquarters in Bern, Switzerland, has today over 5.200 affiliated sporting goods stores in 37 countries. From North America to Europe, all the way to the Middle East, the expansion continues in the direction of the Asia/Pacific region.

To further expand its strong market positioning, the INTERSPORT brand will be emotionalised and dynamised. This will be combined with an enhanced brand image and brand appearance, store layout and product mix policy, bringing advantages to the stores and the customers. In the area of communication, INTERSPORT will strengthen its profile as the number 1 sports retailer with the new brand philosophy “Sport to the People.”

The largest and most successful sporting goods retailer in the world is responding to changing market conditions such as competitive pressures, market concentration and value change in the society. The successful INTERSPORT business model – with local retailers who truly know their market and clients, competent customer service and a balanced assortment of key brands such as adidas, Nike, Salomon etc. and private labels - will continue.

INTERSPORT will also continue to pay special attention to its core competences in such categories as Winter Sports, Running/Fitness, Football/Team Sports, Outdoor, Racket Sports and Water Sports – all product categories which are focused on active, health-conscious consumers.

INTERSPORT brings “Sport to the People”
The client’s needs have certainly changed. Today, for many people, sport represents health, personal well-being and simply fun and joy in exercising. “Sport to the People” expresses this attitude. INTERSPORT’s enhanced brand concept is intended to ensure that worldwide all existing and potential customers can better recognise this positioning. IIC’s CEO Franz Julen says:

Sport is for everyone and it is our mission, as well as our daily goal, to bring sport to the people. INTERSPORT offers its consumers not only suitable products, services and extensive consultation,

but as Julen points out: „Additionally, we want to motivate people to become more active and therefore support them in the pursuit of a healthier lifestyle“.

Store concept responds to the needs of the consumers
This market positioning will be reflected in the INTERSPORT stores. Together with experienced employees of the national licensees, IIC has developed a new store concept. The product presentation will cater more strongly to the needs of the customers. Sports products, from hardware to apparel and footwear, will be combined and presented in various “Sports Universes.” The retailers can then better and more efficiently offer the customers the products they desire. Also, certain visual elements in INTERSPORT stores will lend a more dynamic and fresh appearance to the brand INTERSPORT.

Private label assortment is enhanced
INTERSPORT will adapt and optimize the ranges offered under its own private labels. Out of the current 12 private labels, in the future INTERSPORT will concentrate only on 6 private labels: ENERGETICS, etirel, FIREFLY, McKINLEY, PRO TOUCH and TECNOpro. Just like with the new store concept, each of these private labels will represent an entire Sports Universe by providing hardware, footwear and apparel under the same brand name, as has been until now the case with McKINLEY. On the other hand, while these „Big-Six“ will be offered by all the national retail organisations licensed by INTERSPORT, two other private labels, NAKAMURA for biking and DYNATOUR for the golf sector, will only be offered by some of them. “The customers will benefit from this concentration in product development and marketing”, Franz Julen states in justifying this step, noting that they will have access to higher quality products with an exceptional price/value ratio. “Due to greater quantities, the retailer can also improve pricing“, he adds. Within every private label there will be first-price and mid-price segment as well as the appropriate image-building premium products.

The implementation of the enhanced brand image and store concept as well as the further development of the exclusive brands will be a true challenge and milestone for the entire Group, which comprises 5.200 stores in 37 countries. IIC CEO Franz Julen:

The INTERSPORT retailers have successfully proven over the past 40 years what they can achieve together. With these new strategically decisive steps, we will strengthen and develop our position as the number one sports retailer in the world.

The first concrete steps have been made with a 4-week road show where IIC presented the new strategy to the INTERSPORT licensees in all the European countries. Constructive discussions were held with every national licensee and the implementation schedules were discussed and agreed upon with each of them. As of 2010, all national INTERSPORT licensees will begin the implementation process.

• back