The French sporting goods market grew by an estimated 2 percent in the first half of this year, thanks in part to a good winter season, but Groupe Go Sport, the country’s third-largest retailer after Décathlon and Intersport, did not quite benefit from the favorable trend.

While the more generalist Go Sport banner raised its sales by 0.6 percent to €239.2 million during the six-month period, its specialist athletic footwear banner, Courir, recorded a sales decline of 8.6 percent to €71.2 million. On a comparable store basis, sales were off at the two chains by 0.9 percent and 10.2 percent, respectively.

The fourth-largest retailer in the country, Sport 2000, has instead reported a 3.8 percent sales increase on a same-store basis in the first half for its affiliated retailers and its growing chain of corporate stores. Sales reportedly fell strongly at the beginning of July, however.

Including its operations in Poland, Groupe Go Sport suffered a drop of 2.8 percent in total revenues to €338.5 million for the first half of this year, or 1.4 percent down on a comparable basis. In terms of euros, sales in Poland fell by 17.9 percent to €23.9 million, but in local currencies and on a same-store basis they were up by 2.6 percent.

The second quarter did not go as well as the first one. In the latest period, the group recorded a turnover of €166.8 million, down by 3.0 percent from the same quarter in 2008 on a comparable basis, with declines of 1.3 percent for Go Sport in France, 2.7 percent for Go Sport in Poland and 8.7 percent for the Courir chain.

To help stem the drop at Courir, the group has appointed a new general manager for the chain, Jacques Krauze, replacing Dominique Prévost, who was promoted to this role last February. Known for his determination, Krauze spent nearly 10 years at Go Sport, starting in 1997 and became its general manager in 1981. In 1988 he founded a new discount chain, Sport Chalet, which he sold in 1994. Among other moves, he set up Printemps’ Citadium superstore in Paris in 1998. Three years ago he launched a new banner of women-specific sporting goods stores called Lilysportive.

During the second quarter, the Go Sport group opened three Go Sport stores and three Courir stores in France, one Go Sport in Poland, four Go Sport stores through franchises in Saudi Arabia and Belgium, and three Courir stores through franchises in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Syria. Two Go Sport stores in France were closed. On June 30, 2009, the group counted 385 stores, including 173 Go Sport stores, of which 21 are franchises; 211 Courir stores, of which 27 are franchises; and one Moviesport.

Go Sport’s financial results are set to come out at the end of this month. More details on these and other major French sports retailers, including Décathlon and Intersport, in the market research report on France that has just come out.