SGIE’s founder on ISPO Amsterdam: Amazon’s European sports chief predicted that AI agents will pick and buy gear for consumers within five years. Store-based retailers disagreed, saying shoppers still check choices in person, and Intersport’s CEO raised the cost in retail jobs.
The new Amsterdam ISPO turned out to be better than expected, according to many exhibitors, despite the persistent absence of the big sports brands and of the ski segment, which animated the trade show in Munich until a few years ago. Evidently, many buyers and other types of visitors came to the fair out of necessity or sheer curiosity.
The atmosphere was liveliest in the well-defined sections dedicated to industry startups and to the outdoor sector, which was well represented thanks to the efforts of efficient organizations such as the European Outdoor Group and the Scandinavian Outdoor Group.
It was more difficult for visitors to navigate through other areas of the fair, partly because of poor or nonexistent signage. Some exhibitors also complained about unexpected problems in setting up their stands. Hopefully, the show’s new organizers will listen to their complaints.
The future of sports retail in the age of AI
Artificial intelligence was the buzzword at the Amsterdam ISPO across the supply chain. An interesting session in the all-day conference that preceded the show was dedicated to its application to the retail sector. Avi Samtani, European Managing Director for Amazon Sports, predicted that, in five years’ time, consumers will leave it up to AI agents to decide which products are best suited for their sports activities and to close the actual transaction online.
Other panelists disagreed, stressing the importance of the human factor and the brick-and-mortar retailers’ function as advisors who can handle individual cases in a particular community. They agreed that consumers are relying more frequently on AI for recommendations, but most of them validate their choices after seeing and possibly testing the product.
Either way, brands must supply as much data as possible on their products to enable AI agents to provide accurate recommendations, said Ger Wright, European Sales Manager for New Balance. Margit Grosau, CEO of Sport 2000 International, indicated that data and AI will enable retailers to work with brands more efficiently.
Tom Foley, CEO of Intersport International, added some interesting thoughts of his own about the retail jobs that any large-scale adoption of AI may eliminate. He said that many “advisors” who work in the store are amateur athletes or students who need the job to make a living. Mentioning current examples like robotic lawn mowers and house-cleaning robots, Foley expressed his hope that humans will use any reduction in their working time to engage in more physical activity.
Eugenio “Gene” Di Maria is the founder and former editor-in-chief of Sporting Goods Intelligence Europe (SGI Europe) and The Outdoor Industry Compass. With over 40 years of experience as an international business journalist and market research expert, he is widely regarded as a leading authority on the global sporting goods and outdoor sectors. He is the author of Sporting Goods Industry Dynamics, a comprehensive reference book detailing the history, corporate transformations, and performance benchmarks of major global sports brands.
New annual subscribers to SGI Europe will receive a free copy of his definitive industry reference book while limited supplies last.
