The new consumer panel set up by the Dutch sports industry shows that the consumption of sports products in the Netherlands jumped by 5 percent in the first quarter of this year. This came after a paltry year in which the Dutch sports market is estimated to have shrunk by about 8 percent, due to economic unease and unfavorable weather. Furthermore, the market is still gripped by uncertainty about the merger between the country's two leading buying groups for sports retailers, Intres and Euretco, which run the Intersport and Sport 2000 formats in the Netherlands. The merger was approved by both companies and earlier this year they decided to go forward with the Intersport banner. However, more than three months after its approval by the shareholders of both buying groups, the deal has yet to be sanctioned by the Dutch competition authorities, pending the divestment of assets related to Sport 2000.

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