Stadium, the largest sports retail chain in Sweden with a strong presence in Finland, revealed a new partnership with Ebay to launch an online shop for second-hand sports and outdoor products as a new business segment. In Sweden, Ebay operates through a subsidiary called Tradera.
Like most other retailers, Stadium has been hit hard by the corona crisis. Karl Eklöf, the company’s chief executive and a member of the family that owns it, has already announced a drastic fall in revenues and the need to downsize staff by at least 650 employees and suspend the contracts of another 1,000 collaborators. The revelation of the Ebay partnership shows that the situation does not stop the retail chain from implementing its pre-corona long-term strategic decisions regarding sustainability.
Eklöf told breakit.se in an interview that consumers can sell products through Stadium’s second-hand online shop regardless of where the products were originally purchased. Stadium receives a commission for each successful transaction. “Circular consumption is crucial for tackling climate change and the future of our planet. Besides the reduced environmental impact, it also helps everyone’s economy,” Eklöf stated.
Another new strategic business launched by Stadium is the rental of tents and backpacks in its regular stores. Like its new venture for second-hand products - an activity that Decathlon has been pursuing for many years in France - in some ways it fits well with its successful low-cost Stadium Outlet business, which the company recently expanded to Norway.
According to Stadium, both new measures were planned long before the Covid-19 outbreak, but it makes them both even more relevant as the demand has become more stronger. Many Swedes will stay in their country for the summer holidays and need new clothing and equipment to enjoy the outdoors.
