Despite a moderate winter and partly mild temperatures, the winter business went well for Intersport Austria. In the first half of the fiscal year (Oct. 1, 2022 - March 31, 2023), the Austrian retail group reports sales of about €380 million, up 5 percent from the previous year. Among the winners were ski and snowboard apparel, especially for children, with double-digit growth rates. Good sales of bike and outdoor product in the fall and mild winter months also contributed to the positive result. According to managing director Thorsten Schmitz, hiking has developed into an all-year-round sport, as confirmed by an increase in sales of winterproof hiking boots.
Rental business on the upswing
While saturation of the market was noticeable in the ski touring and cross-country skiing segments (due to the strong boom of recent years), the rental business for skis and winter sports equipment has been growing strongly at Intersport for several years and accounts for a high double-digit share of total revenue. Currently, the majority of Intersport Rent customers still come from countries such as Germany, the Netherlands and Great Britain. “We expect that in the future, more and more Austrians will also rent winter sports equipment,” emphasizes Schmitz.
Holistic strategy: Continued growth potential in the bike segment
Many people have invested in a new bicycle or e-bike in the past few years and are integrating it into their everyday lives, i.e. also for short trips and errands as well as for the commute to work. “This positive social development is further fueled by high energy prices, inflation and more awareness for the environment,” Schmitz believes. According to Intersport, renowned companies such as Grand View Research from California assume that the European bicycle market will continue to grow significantly until 2030. The only difference: “While e-bikes still had a share of around one-fifth of the overall European market in 2019, the importance of this bike category will continue to rise and even overtake conventional bikes,” says Schmitz, summarizing the forecast development for the bike market in Europe. “Against this background, we are continuing to back the right horse and are expanding our bike expertise at all levels,” he emphasizes.
In addition to bikes in all price categories, this “bike ecosystem” also includes additional services such as insurance coverage, rental options, 0-percent financing, and bike repair shop services. Another service includes events such as the successful School of Pump for kids or the Bike Competence Camps. Sustainable initiatives such as the Bike Infrastructure Fund or the partnership with “Firmenradl” – a start-up within the Intersport Austria Group but 100 percent free in its decisions – further increase the added value for customers. Firmenradl offers a mobility concept for employers and employees and was launched in the spring of 2021. It already includes over 600 bike shops across Austria. About one-third are Intersport retailers, two-thirds are IBDs.
Intersport opens specialized bike stores
Specifically, Intersport has developed its own store concept specializing in bikes. After Maria Alm, the second Intersport bike store opened a few weeks ago in the G3 Shopping Resort Gerasdorf. It offers all types of bikes as well as helmets and protectors, bike clothing, bike shoes and accessories. The heart of the shop is the bike workshop, where all work is done from service to fitting conversions. A special feature is the bike fitting service with the Smartfit Q4 System: Both the body of the customer and the bike, whether brought along or bought at the store, are precisely measured with a laser for optimal adjustment.
Expansion of the bike infrastructure as an impulse for the economy
Managing director Schmitz himself is a passionate biker. That’s why sustainable initiatives like the Bike Infrastructure Fund are particularly close to his heart. Intersport Austria launched the fund in March 2021 and is thus taking on a pioneering role in the Austrian sporting goods trade. To date, numerous partners have been acquired and projects implemented. The flagship projects include bike trails in Judenburg or on the Pfenningberg in Linz.
As of March 2023, the Intersport Austria Group, headquartered in Wels, comprises 104 Intersport retailers at over 280 locations in Austria. Intersport employs around 4,000 people in Austria. The total sales area is approximately 190,000 square meters. Intersport Austria also licenses the stores in Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
