Bernard Ariet, a Belgian sporting goods retailer who was buying the products for its three Sport Look stores through Twinner France, has adopted the Twinner brand name and got a license to franchise it throughout Belgium and Luxembourg, creating a new market for this alternative retail brand.
Born in France to replace the former Téchnicien du Sport banner, Twinner is gradually making a name for itself in Italy and Spain through its local licensees, Sport Point Group and Twinner Iberica, respectively. It has been adopted for 80 out of the 250 stores affiliated with the Italian group and for the 70-80 smaller outlets that belong to the Spanish one, formerly called Oxygeno Ibersport. The expanding Spanish store network has also begun to buy some of the private label items developed for the Italian network, including some daypacks, ski bags and outdoor apparel items.
In France, meanwhile, the 261 stores that are still affiliated with Twinner have begun to purchase through Intersport all but its private label items. With a 49 percent stake, Garant Schuh + Mode remains the major shareholder of their buying group, which has changed its name from SED to Twinner France. Fortis Bank has begun to handle their centralized settlements, but reportedly enforcing some methods that the suppliers are not used to.
