Bought by Intersport International in December 2012, The Athlete's Foot (TAF) continued to grow faster than its parent company in the first quarter of this year. Retail sales were up by 5.7 percent in euros, with strong increases of 14.7 percent in local currencies and 6.3 percent on a comparable store basis. Specific sales figures are not going to be communicated, except for the full year.
Focusing on sports-inspired sneakers and apparel, TAF entered or re-entered several countries during the quarter, ending up with one store in Ireland, two in Russia, four in Italy and six in Algeria. Other new markets will be France and Finland in the second part of this year.
Meanwhile, Euretco, the parent company of Intersport Nederland, now operates 56 TAF stores in the Netherlands through the conversion of 48 former Coach stores and the addition of new units. Some of the former Coach stores have been moved to better and generally larger locations. With the exception of the oil-driven economies, the brand has seen remarkable growth in the first quarter everywhere, following the implementation of new strategies and the installation of digital platforms.
TAF is also enjoying a new heyday in its former domestic market of the U.S., where sales have increased strongly after the establishment of a clearer market position in the sports lifestyle segment, the closure of underperforming units and investments in store refitting. A former U.S. franchisee of TAF, the Vance Group, has decided to convert six stores in North Carolina back to the TAF banner.
