Less than a year after closing its store in Reutlingen,...

Less than a year after closing its store in Reutlingen, SportScheck is also ceasing operation at its shop in the northern German town of Braunschweig. The 2,700-square-meter store will be shut down on March 23 after seven years of operation, the company said. Like other retailers, SportScheck is having to cope with a declining customer base and rising rental costs in city centers. The Braunschweig location had been particularly hard-hit by this situation. The closure affects 25 employees. The company emphasizes that it wants to hold on to its retails business and pledges to invest in sites that are more promising, such as Nuremberg, Cologne and Hamburg. SportScheck is spending more money on smart services to couple the online and on-site shopping experiences.