Having already successfully implemented its specialization strategy with the Laufprofis for running and the Sneaker Force for sneaker specialists in Germany, Sport 2000 GmbH is now extending the strategy to other European countries, starting in the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. The necessary structures are created under the leadership of Gunther de Maeyer. As a cross-border retail consultant for the target markets, he will support the running and sneaker specialists with a bundled and tailored range of services to meet their needs. In addition to the know-how of the respective Sport 2000 subsidiaries, he will also draw on the many years of experience of the German businesses. De Maeyer will work with Jörg Seifert, head of Running, and Marc Scheiner, head of Lifestyle at Sport 2000 in Germany. According to the group, the sneaker retailers in BeNeLux will continue to operate banner-independently. “The retailers benefit in particular from the simplified processes as well as the financial services that the association provides. In their market presence, they remain independent of us,” Scheiner explained.
De Maeyer joined Sport 2000 in June 2021 as a cross-country retail consultant. In addition to positions at Nike and Decathlon at the beginning of his career, the native of Belgium also spent more than ten years in various positions with Adidas in the Belgian market. Most recently, he worked as an independent consultant and has already implemented a merchandise management project together with ANWR Garant International.
