Estimates for Intersport's performance in the entire European sporting goods market this year will only be available around mid-January. Sources at Intersport International Corporation indicate that European retail sales were down overall in the first 10 months of this year, and that it will be really hard to match the very good sales results obtained in November and December 2010 across Europe.
There have been some exceptions, however. For example, the Intersport organizations in Austria and France have managed to boost their sales so far this year. Intersport also performed well in Canada and some Eastern European countries, mainly in Russia and Turkey, but also in Hungary, Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria as well as in the Middle East. Instead, the Nordic region and U.K. have been relatively flat overall.
Intersport Austria is expected to disclose its figures for the financial year ended last August in mid-January, but company officials indicate that they will show a nice increase and that its retail members' sales have continued to progress since last September, thanks in part to new marketing and merchandising initiatives and to the opening of 10 new stores during the autumn. While sales of skis and snowboards went down a little, other important categories have shown increases including cross-country skis, touring skis, ice skates, outdoor products, running and funwheels.
Sales increases have been scored not only in Austria, but also in the four Eastern European markets where Intersport Austria has affiliated stores. Intersport recorded an increase on a same-store basis even in the difficult Hungarian sporting goods market, which is expected to decline by 3 percent to €365 million this year. According to research commissioned by Intersport Austria, Intersport ranks third in that market, with a share of nearly 7 percent, after Décathlon's 18 percent and Hervis' 13 percent.
The Czech and Slovak markets are instead expected to continue to record an increase this year. They were estimated at €755 million and €155 million in 2010, respectively. Intersport was probably third in the Czech Republic with a share of 8.1 percent, following Sportissimo with 14 percent and Hervis with 10 percent. In Slovakia, where it now has 24 stores, Intersport was No. 1 with a share of 17 percent, followed by Exisport with a share of 12.5 percent.
