Ahead of ISPO Munich 2023, Sport 2000 International has released an update of its One Sport 2000 strategy and progress. In a statement, Margit Gosau, CEO of Sport 2000 International and Sport 2000 GmbH, discusses a three-pronged approach which includes expanding specialization and progressively implementing this in brick-and-mortar retail formats, the establishment of an international retail team, and establishing a stronger brand identity with the new “I am Home” campaign.
“Last year, we took important steps towards our strategy of becoming One Sport 2000,” says Gosau. “In the future, we will focus even stronger on optimizing our international collaboration, expanding specialization and progressively implementing our retail formats.”
Expert retailers continue to be prioritized
Of its rollout of multi-category format and specialized retail concepts, Gosau states: “We are observing that more and more sports brands are re-assessing their direct-to-customer strategies […] In the midst of the transformation that is taking place worldwide, brick-and-mortar expert retailers are gaining in importance once again.” For Sport 2000, these include concepts for individual sports sectors, such as Absolute Run, Teamsport or ski experts.
Expansion of the specialized Sport 2000 retail formats and concepts is “progressing steadily” in Europe, as is the rollout of the Sport 2000 multi-category format. The first four Sport 2000 multi-category stores opened in Mauritius and Madagascar, and the first multi-category European store, spanning 2,000 sqm, will open in Dendermonde on Dec. 1, 2023.
Unified international retail approach
Sport 2000 is now pursuing the clear goal of being recognized as One Sport 2000 worldwide. The development of an international retail team, in cooperation with the national representatives of Sport 2000 countries, is planned for 2024.
In the future, all retail activities, whether involving format or concept developments, will be determined by a defined procedure from the retail team, giving a strong retail brand with defined formats and concepts rather than different approaches in every country.
Sport 2000 International also shares national category and brand core competencies within the sporting goods community through its Center of Excellence approach. Sport 2000 national organizations take over the international management for a specific core issue and are responsible for the respective Center of Excellence. In addition to the lead in the area of winter sports, which is held by the Austrian team, the Center of Excellence approach for “running” has now been added under the leadership of Jörg Seifert at Sport 2000 GmbH. Further Center of Excellence approaches in the outdoor, fitness and sport style segments are also planned.
From “home of experts” to “I am home”
In 2022, for the first time, the retailer introduced a new brand identity in most of the Sport 2000 countries: “Home of Experts.”
“With the rollout of ‘Home of Experts,’ we have introduced a positioning that is strongly recognized in the industry and has awakened desire. Retailers and partners are actively seeking out collaboration with us to be part of the campaign and thereby one of the experts,” says Gosau.
At the end of 2023, Sport 2000 International is taking the campaign to the next level. “We are going a step further with ‘Welcome Home’ and introducing ‘I am Home.’ The focus of the campaign continues to be the meaning of ‘home,’ and its design is reminiscent of ‘Welcome Home’ to create recognition value,” says Mike Kerbage, Marketing Manager of Sport 2000 International, adding: “‘I am Home’ conveys the feeling of being at home in the sports world. Because that is exactly what we are at Sport 2000.”
Sport 2000 saw a record year in 2023, closing FY22 with gross sales of €6.5 billion.
-> Up next. Read our exclusive interview with Margit Gosau. Sport 2000 International’s CEO is pushing its specialist concept
