Catering to a growing demand for sports-inspired clothing and footwear in the local market, a group of Italian retailers has decided to launch a new buying and marketing group specializing in these kinds of products. Called Swer - a name related to the notion of sportswear retailer - the group has already signed a supply contract with Le Coq Sportif and is negotiating others with brands such as Superga for the Spring/Summer 2009 season. It also plans to come out with its own private label collection by the Fall of 2009, starting with children’s and junior clothing, but with a typical Italian style, in contrast with the more technical-oriented offerings of international buying groups such as Intersport and Sport 2000.
The new initiative is spearheaded by Sportland, a large retailer based in Affi, near Lake Garda, which has an annual turnover of about €50 million through five large stores in Italy and six others in the Greek region of Larissa. While all the other members of the group are Italian for the moment, contacts have already been made with retailers in Austria and Spain.
Altogether, the participants in the initiative have a total of about 50 stores and a combined turnover of €100 million. The other retailers are Sportway, based at Gravellona Toce, King Sport of Senigallia, Centro Sport of Viareggio, Moda Sport of Melfi and One Sport of San Marino.
Swer is for the moment an informal group, but it is expected to turn into a limited partnership or a consortium in one year’s time. Until then, Sportland will take care of all the financial and logistic aspects of the project, which will be managed by a new consulting company, Sport Elite.
Gaetano Memmola, a well-known Italian sporting goods industry veteran, runs Sport Elite. He founded back in 1980 the first Italian buying group in the sector, Union Sport, which subsequently became Intersport Italia. He ran it until its merger with Cisalfa Sport in 1999. He subsequently ran for a while Selezione Sport, which is now trading as Sport Alliance. He has been involved in other retail and wholesale distribution projects such as Sport Partners.
One of the shareholders of Sport Elite is Maurizio Cittone through his company, Comei, which has a long history as an Italian producer of down-filled outerwear and other sports garments for various firms. With an annual turnover of €30 million, his company puts out also two sportswear brands, 313 and ADD, which have been showing at Bread & Butter. He would be directly involved in the private label project.
