Sportler, the big northern Italian sporting goods retailer, has acquired bergzeit.de, a German-based online outdoor retailer that also runs two brick-and-mortar stores in Bavaria. Apparently, Sportler, run by Georg Oberrauch, the brother of Heiner Oberrauch, who runs the Salewa/Oberalp group, wants to expand its small online business through this acquisition. Reportedly, Bergzeit's founder, Klaus Lehner, had some difficulties financing the strong growth of his company, which is said to have annual sales of some €10 million (more in The Outdoor Industry Compass).

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