Sneakersnstuff returns with former CEO: New owners have ‘long-term vision and commitment’

Now, after six months of intensive work on the relaunch, during which the organization has been streamlined and the store in Stockholm has reopened, SNS can once again look ahead.

The new business plan is being implemented throughout the organization, and several key roles have been filled.

CEO Erik Manzano Fagerlind reveals to SGI Europe that the number of stores will increase, with new establishments in Europe, in North America and also in new markets with great potential.

The focus for SNS will now be on physical retail and rebuilding SNS’s strong community, rather than a major investment in e-commerce, explains the CEO.

SGI Europe: Why did you want to come back to SNS?

I never really wanted to leave. Within the company, we didn’t agree on how to face the future, so we agreed that I would leave the company in 2022. But it wasn’t really my wish or my decision per se. I see a lot of fun things left to do with SNS, so it’s great to be back.

Sometimes it can be tricky to return to a company. How will you avoid being blind to the company’s strengths and weaknesses and be able to think in new ways?

My role this time around is to put the structures in place, to map out the boxes we need to fill. Then it’s up to the team to make sure they’re filled. It’s also been almost four years since I left the CEO role. There are certain things and routines that I helped create, but at the same time, a lot has changed in SNS’s quest to become a large company. I don’t think SNS needs to behave like a large company in that way.

Yes, Reziprok now has a new owner – a German investment company that works with various family offices and says it takes a long-term approach. What are they like as owners, and how much staying power do you think they have?

I would say they definitely have staying power and a long-term perspective. Reziprok is a smaller investment company that works less with external consultants and instead takes a very hands-on and long-term approach. They have a good understanding of how much the market fluctuates and invest countercyclically. They want this to be good over the long term. That’s where we’ve found common ground.

Are you bringing any key people with you to the new SNS?

Taking over a bankrupt company comes with many challenges. One of the biggest is personnel. Not only does the company suddenly become significantly smaller, but you also have to set up completely new ways of working – while at the same time wanting to bring with you what you think worked well. Unfortunately, many of those who were made redundant by the bankruptcy estate did not find a place in the new initial organization.

Now that the first wave has settled, we’ve been joined by Danielle Krasse, who was previously Head of Activation at SNS and is now returning as Head of Marketing. Johan Stringberg, who spent many years at Nike, will also be joining us as Head of Sales, after which we will reorganize a little around that. During the fall, we will also need to strengthen our team with more key people, such as a Head of E-Com, and we are working to make the Head of Accounting position, which is currently an interim position, permanent. In addition, a strong core remains from the team that was previously at SNS.

Physical retail and e-commerce linked to sports fashion feels like a suicide mission right now. With bankruptcies, acquisitions and mergers as the only way out for many players who, despite a strong brand, are unable to reach the end consumer. Nevertheless, SNS has a strong foundation to build on: a legacy of successful collaborations with the world’s largest sneaker brands and popular stores. But that was also during a different retail era. What new formula will the new SNS use to ensure that you are still successful in a few years?

That’s right, the market is different today. But basically, it’s about going back to our roots to reintroduce SNS to a new and perhaps younger target group. SNS has been around for over 25 years, but in recent years, I feel that the brand may have broadened too much and meant less to the new target group that sets the tone and creates trends today. SNS must dare to stand for something in order to succeed in the future.

You’ve also said that you’re going to double your physical presence.

Well, I said we will double down on the physical presence.  What we are going to do is increase our local presence. We will therefore be opening more stores, and our future focus will also be on physical retail and its community. Rather than investing in a large-scale, tailor-made digital initiative.

SNS is in Stockholm, Berlin, Paris and London. Can you tell us what the future looks like?

The stores in New York and Los Angeles will reopen. After that, there are plans for more stores in both Europe and the US. Previously, we only opened in large global cities. Going forward, there are also good opportunities to become more local through smaller cities the size of Stockholm.

It’s also interesting to explore completely new geographical areas, such as India, South America and Africa, but these are more visionary goals at this stage. However, it’s important to bear in mind that it can take some time to establish new premises, etc. The earliest we can see new stores opening is 2026.

You’ve also communicated that SNS wants to bring back the community focus that once enabled you to grow so successfully. Can you tell us more about how this will be done?

SNS comes from a time when it was enough to say that we had bought this particular sports shoe because we thought it looked good for walking around town. That’s not really enough today, at a time when our major suppliers already place a lot of emphasis on a “lifestyle” range. That’s why we need to curate our range better, among other things. Our task will be to present new and old models – and give them a context for a new target group. We do this by linking the models to different subcultures, such as music, art, basketball – and the community that exists around these subcultures.

Our stores will develop naturally to become a meeting place for those interested in the subcultures we identify with as a brand. What we want to highlight is the lifestyle surrounding these subcultures – not necessarily start selling lots of basketball equipment or music equipment.

In the best-case scenario, what will SNS look like in three years globally in terms of sales, number of stores and employees?

I think we’ll have to take it one step at a time. We have big ambitions, but right now we’re still living a bit hand-to-mouth. The cycles are such that the deadlines for purchasing for fall 2025 have passed, while the previous company was in bankruptcy. As a result, the flow of goods is somewhat erratic at the moment, even though all brands have made a genuine effort to make the best of the situation. From spring 2026, it will be our own order books. And that’s when we’ll be working more actively to strengthen SNS as a brand in its own right, which takes time.

What’s your spontaneous feeling right now?

I’m excited and eager to get started after the summer. It’s been a super-intense six months since Reziprok took over after the bankruptcy, and it’s taken time to get the machinery up and running. But for the most part, the feeling is positive; we have a fantastic opportunity to turn SNS into something successful again. As I said at the beginning of the interview, I have been trying to make a comeback for the past few years. It would have been nicer to avoid bankruptcy. But now it is what it is, and we have moved on. And it feels really exciting.