Sport 2000, the German-headquartered retail group, delivered strong momentum in 2025 as its Home of Experts strategy gained traction.
Sport 2000, the German-based retail coordination group, closed 2025 with external sales reaching €4.4 billion across its seven-country network covering Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Benelux, and the Czech Republic. The 9 percent increase over 2024 marks clear commercial momentum despite subdued consumer sentiment across European markets.
German market drives Sport 2000 to €3.2bn in domestic sales with 15% surge
The German market served as the primary growth engine for the group. In its home territory, external sales climbed 15 percent to reach €3.2 billion. This domestic expansion was supported by a 14.9 percent rise in purchasing volume from German partner retailers.
Data from the German group’s retail panel – which tracks point-of-sale performance across multi-category stores, specialists, and digital channels – showed a 6.1 percent increase in like-for-like sales. Large-scale online specialists within the network recorded above-average growth during the period.
Category performance reflects strong positioning in core segments
Running emerged as the strongest growth driver, with sales climbing 18.5 per cent. Winter sports posted 12.6 per cent growth, followed by team sports at 9.8 percent. The outdoor category added 4.9 per cent, maintaining stable demand at the elevated levels established in recent years. Sportstyle recorded 13.6 per cent gains.
“In view of an overall restrained consumer climate, we are very pleased that our Home of Experts strategy is evidently providing the right answers to the demands of the modern sports market,” stated Dominik Solleder, Managing Director of Sport 2000 GmbH. He noted that partners efficiently managed inventories whilst increasing purchasing volumes and sales.
New partners strengthen Sport 2000’s expert positioning
The “Home of Experts” strategy positions Sport 2000 as a destination for genuine sports expertise – centered on consultation, personalised service, strong brands, and a shopping experience that makes competence visible and builds long-term trust.
This approach has attracted several high-profile retailers to the German alliance recently. New additions include multi-category players such as Sporthaus Schuster, Sport Conrad, and Sport Bittl, alongside specialists like Globetrotter and BSTN.
By year-end 2025, the group counted approximately 2,000 partner locations across seven countries, including 785 specialized stores and 493 multi-category houses in Germany.
Sport 2000 Austria gains traction following integration
Sport 2000 Austria joined the German-led seven-country alliance 18 months ago and has since completed a strategic repositioning process. Building on the Home of Experts framework deployed in Germany, Sport 2000 Austria adapted the approach for the Austrian market through a comprehensive transformation program.
Irina Andorfer, managing director of Sport 2000 Austria, emphasized the strategic significance of the integration: “It is an important signal to be part of SPORT 2000 GmbH. The synergies of this collaboration strengthen us as a group, and our Austrian retailers are thus integrated into a powerful network that consistently focuses on quality, expertise, and strategically strong brand partnerships. Recent retailer additions confirm the path taken.”
Bottom line: our SGIE take
Sport 2000’s above-market growth demonstrates that its “Home of Experts” strategy is working – a framework anchored in physical proximity while exploring how to leverage AI search and agentic shopping with a consumer-first approach.
As Margit Gosau, CEO of Sport 2000 International, noted in our exclusive interview, AI favours proximity. When a product is available locally, AI actively suggests nearby shops – a clear opportunity for connected sports retailers. This requires behind-the-scenes expertise in synchronised data and real-time fulfilment visibility. The expertise Sport 2000 applied with partners, customers and vendors enabled it to outperform in 2025 and maintain a positive outlook for 2026.
