Intersport France managed a retail sales increase of 10 percent to about €1.7 billion including VAT last year, with a comparable sales rise of 5.3 percent. The turnover covers its affiliated stores in France and Belgium, although the Belgian share is tiny with only five stores. Intersport estimated that its French market share moved up by two percentage points to 18 percent. The buying group opened or expanded 35 urban stores last year to reach a network of 394 stores, while it opened seven mountain stores to end the year with 220. Intersport France also expanded its Blackstore fashion banner with four more stores to a total of 18 stores. Jacky Rihouet, president of Intersport France, added in a statement that the stores affiliated with the buying group in France (and Belgium) are well on their way to achieve targeted sales of €2 billion and a French market share of 20 percent by 2020. The buying group further announced that 18 Intersport stores are slated to open this year, while 17 are to get relocated orenlarged, and 23 renovated. This includes a 1,800-square-meter store opening at Mons in Belgium. Another five Blackstore outlets are scheduled to open this year. Rihouet further informed Sport-guide.com that two or three The Athlete's Foot stores are to open in France in the summer and another 20 to 25 next year in medium-sized cities where Intersport already has partners. The group is also expanding the bicycle production plant it acquired three years ago in Machecoul. While it turned out 130,000 units in 2013, the plant's production reached more than 330,000 units in 2015 and the target is set at 400,000 units this year.

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