Since its launch in December 2023, Lamoda Sport has opened nearly 100 stores in 40 Russian cities, making it one of the fastest expansions in the Russian sporting goods industry in recent years.
As revealed by Roman Zveryukha, Lamoda Sport’s Managing Director, in an interview with local news outlet Profashion, the company has taken a break from new openings. However, several new stores are still expected to be added to the chain by the end of the year. The final goal remains the same, as Lamoda Sport still aims to have 300 stores across Russia, Zveryukha said.
The chain offers nearly 30 sporting brands, including popular names among Russian customers such as Puma, Adidas and Reebok, along with niche brands like Nux and Under Armour, said Zveryukha, who spent the previous 17 years developing Adidas’s business in Russia. The retailer works directly with brands that remain in the Russian market, also relying on parallel imports – a tool allowing Russian firms to import foreign brands without the owner’s consent. However, Lamoda Sport is extra cautious using this channel, primarily sourcing goods from official distributors in other countries. Zveryukha emphasized that the company’s commitment to authenticity is unwavering, ensuring that all goods on its shelves are original.
Over the past few years, Russian retailers have consistently complained that parallel imports carry significant fraud risks, as ensuring supply chain traceability is sometimes challenging. Lamoda Sport also sells a few Russian sporting goods brands such as Jögel, Euphoria and Bona Fide.
During its natural evolution, the retail chain was divided into four segments. In addition to stores operating under the Lamoda Sport banner, the company has introduced Lamoda Sport Kids, focused on selling children’s goods, and Lamoda Sport Urban, emphasizing casual sporting clothes and sneakers. In addition, the company is developing the Lamoda Sport Outlet format, through which it sells leftovers at major discounts.
Lamoda Sport’s ultimate goal is to become the leading omnichannel player in the Russian sporting goods market in the next few years, Zveryukha asserted.
