The European sports retail network reported 8.2 percent like-for-like growth in 2025, outpacing a largely flat market. Outdoor emerged as the top-growing category, and a new format licensing structure is set to accelerate global expansion.
Sport 2000 Group International closed 2025 with gross retail sales of €5.3 billion, a like-for-like gain of 8.2 percent over the prior year — a result the company says significantly outpaces overall market growth. The retail service organization, which connects around 2,000 independent sports retailers operating nearly 3,000 stores across 17 countries, published the figures on March 16, 2026.
Outdoor leads, running closes the gap
Outdoor became the network’s top-growing category in 2025, representing 26 percent of total category sales. Growth was above-average in Germany in particular, boosted by the recruitment of large independent outdoor retailers.
Running followed as the second growth driver, accounting for 11 percent of total volume and posting gains in nearly all markets. The company attributes Running’s momentum to a younger consumer base and to the dedicated Absolute Run specialty format.
Other categories performed steadily: Sportstyle contributed 15 percent — moderating from an unusually strong 23 percent the prior year — while team sports held 13 percent of sales, stable even without the boost of a major football tournament. Winter sports, benefiting from strong booking volumes and good snowfall across Europe, reached 11 percent, with alpine skiing posting mid-to-high double-digit growth rates. Fitness and training edged up to a 10 percent share; biking accounted for 5 percent; and swimming represented 1 percent of total volume.
Specialization as the competitive edge
The results reflect what CEO Margit Gosau describes as a strategic shift toward format specialization. The multi-category retailer (MCR) format anchors the network, while Absolute Run and Absolute Teamsport serve specialist niches. More than a third of Sport 2000 stores now operate as specialty shops, according to the company. Gosau said:
“Specialisation creates a profile, strengthens our expertise in the market and enables our country organisations and their retailers to clearly differentiate themselves.”
A new licensing structure to speed up rollout
A restructured licensing framework, announced alongside the annual results, decouples the licenses for the international Sport 2000 and Absolute formats. Previously, a single license per country covered all retail formats; under the revised model, different licensees within the same market can adopt whichever format matches their expertise. The company says this flexibility will accelerate international rollout by enabling more targeted placements in new geographies.
Poland entry, with EMEA and South America next
Sport 2000 Group International is entering Poland through a partnership with the Savio Group, which will establish a national Sport 2000 organization there. The company describes Poland as one of Europe’s most dynamic sports retail markets. Beyond Europe, expansion priorities include the broader EMEA region and selected countries in South America.
