Sports Unlimited Retail, the parent group of Perry Sport, Aktiesport and Sprinter Netherlands, was declared bankrupt according to a notice that appeared on the Sprinter Netherlands retail site on Dec. 6, 2023. The Netherlands-based Sports Unlimited Retail is owned by the British JD Sports group.
JD Sports acquired Perry Sport and Aktiesport in 2016 after they previously went bankrupt. In June 2021, JD Sports agreed to sell the two Dutch chains, Aktiesport and Perry Sport, to the Iberian Sports Retail Group (ISRG), in which it then held a controlling interest of 50.02 percent, for £16.5 million (€19.2m). In July of this year, however, JD Sports acquired the remaining 49.98 percent stake in ISRG – which included Sports Unlimited Retail – for a total cash consideration of €500.1 million.
Netherlands local news site RTL Nieuws reports that Sports Unlimited Retail has 52 stores (23 Sprinter branches, 12 Perry Sport and 17 Aktiesport), and employs around 1,100 people. In recent years, many stores have been either closed or converted to Sprinter.
Online visitors to Pery Sport or Aktiesport are directed to sprintersports.com/nl, where the site’s “About” section explains: “The first Perry store opened its doors in 1866 and quickly became a phenomenon in the retail landscape. Under the name Perry Sport, it became a standalone store where you can buy products from major international brands, but also your own brands. A few years later in 1982, Aktiesport also opened its first doors in Gouda. Aktiesport quickly grew into a national chain.”
Of the move to the Sprinter label, it continues: “International Sports Retail Group (ISRG) has decided to focus on the Sprinter brand and consolidate its activities in the Netherlands into one brand. With the aim of offering the best for the consumer. After joining forces, a sporting transformation is taking place in the sports retail landscape of the Netherlands: Aktiesport and Perry Sport are making way for Sprinter – your new sports store.”
Media sources are also reporting that the bankruptcy will not affect JD Sports.
Image source: Sprinter Amsterdam Overtoom, via LinkedIn.com/company/sprinter/
