Lebanon is the 42nd country in which the Intersport banner will be represented. The license agreement signed by Intersport International with ABC, a strongly established Lebanese retail group, should lead to the short-term opening of 10 multi-sport and multi-brand stores in the country, with a surface of between 600 and 800 square meters.
As with some other recent national deals negotiated by Intersport, except its recent entry into China, the agreement follows an initiative taken by ABC, which sought to diversify into the sports segment.
Founded in 1936 and majority owned by the Fadel family, ABC had total revenues of US$80 million in 2011. It operates its own shopping centers and manages two large department stores in Beirut and Dbayeh as well as several other retail stores across Lebanon, for a total retail space of 65,000 square meters.
The company is the only member of the International Association of Department Stores from the Middle East. It is also a master franchisee for international fashion brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, Caroll, Kookai and Desigual.
