Usports, a new Swedish sports retailer, is to open its first store on 5,000 square meters in Malmö this week. The retailer's business plan calls for the opening of two more stores next year, starting with Vasteras, and then four to five openings per year to reach a network of about 20 stores in the mid-term.
The two leading investors behind Usports are its chairman, Jonas Engwall, the former owner of Skruf Snus; and AB Öresund, one of the largest investment firms in Sweden. They are convinced that the Swedish sports market, which has long focused on medium-sized sports stores, will polarize in the coming years, with megastores snatching about 25 percent of the market in five years, and specialists gaining ground as well.
The Usports concept focuses on stores of 3,000 to 5,000 meters, mostly targeting families. Dealing with about 130 suppliers, they will carry products for 60 sports activities, with a strong emphasis on outdoor products, which will take up about 35 percent of the surface in Usports stores. The other five main categories are team and racquet sports; training and running; junior; bike and winter; and action sports and fun games.
While it will not carry any private labels, Usports will have products with a wide range of prices, including high-end technical products as well as more affordable brands such as Five Seasons and Weather Report.
Another distinctive aspect is that Usports will have many in-store facilities, such as a climbing wall, a putting green and an enclosed space to try out football and hockey sticks.
