Erima, the German outfitter of team sport, running and tennis enthusiasts, recorded sales of more than €48 million, up by 2 percent in 2008. The former Adidas brand made roughly 52 percent of its sales in its home market, where it increased by 6 percent. The company, owned by Wolfram Mannherz, took advantage of its marketing efforts in Germany, for example its sponsorship of 1860 München, the smaller Munich top football club, as well as of Lemgo, the important local handball club, and of Fabian Hambüchen, the German champion in gymnastics. Erima’s second-most-important market continued to be Austria, where it has its own subsidiary as it also does in markets such as Belgium, Switzerland, France and the Netherlands. While most subsidiaries reported increased sales, turnover slipped in Belgium and in Switzerland. In Belgium, the company faced tough price-driven competition from suppliers that do not necessarily sell through local retailers but directly to the clubs. In Switzerland, Erima could not repeat its success of 2007, when it held a big public festival for gymnastics that boosted the brand’s sales then.

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