Intersport Austria is acquiring Intersport Slovenia Group (Naklo, Slovenia). The deal remains subject to the approval of antitrust authorities, and the parties will not be disclosing the purchase price. The resulting entity will operate as Intersport Austria GmbH (Wels, Austria) and retain all local management.
According to the announcement, Intersport Slovenia is the top retailer of sporting goods in Slovenia and ranks among the top three such retailers in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro. It operates, through franchises, in another four countries: Albania, Kosovo, Serbia and North Macedonia.
Intersport Austria operates in four countries: Austria, Hungary, Czech Republic, and Slovakia. Should the deal go through, then, the combined entity will operate in 12 countries, through some 500 stores. External sales will near €1 billion.
For Intersport Austria CEO Franz Koll the acquisition will be a “strategic milestone,” enabling the company to secure a “strong foothold in the European sporting goods retail market” and create “synergies in procurement, digitalization and logistics” at a time when “size, strength and expertise determine a company’s market position.”
Intersport International, says CEO Tom Foley, welcomes this deal. “Consolidating our operations in Central and Southeast Europe marks a significant step forward and will boost the expansion of the Intersport brand in a dynamic market environment.”
