INTERSPORT expands to Poland

01.10.2005 | IIC – INTERSPORT International Corporation grants INTERSPORT Germany e. G. the licence for the territory of Poland. INTERSPORT Germany’s new partner is one of the leading Polish sports retailer MAKS Sport S.A., in which INTERSPORT Germany will take over 25% shares.

The INTERSPORT Group has managed to continue its successful expansion strategy into Eastern Europe. Having granted the INTERSPORT licence in markets such as Slowenia, Croatia, Serbia-Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Romania, Czechia, Slovakia, Russia, Hungary and Turkey and the opening of 192 INTERSPORT stores, INTERSPORT will now become active in Poland. INTERSPORT Germany, licensee of INTERSPORT International Corporation for Poland, will grant the sub-licence to MAKS Sport S.A. from Brzezie, Krakow, and plan to take over a 25% share of the company MAKS Sport S.A. , soon to be active as INTERSPORT Poland.

MAKS Sport S.A. was founded in 1989 and, with a retail sales of 14,9 million Euro in 2004, is now one of the leading sports retailers in the Polish market. The existing 9 shops in Krakow, Warsaw, Wroclaw, Sosnowiec, Poznan, Bytom and Bielsko-Biala will be converted into INTERSPORT stores. Until 2007, another 11 INTERSPORT stores will be opened, including shops in cities such as Katowice, Lodz and Poznan.

INTERSPORT Germany, with its headquarter in Heilbronn and more than 1500 affiliated specialist sport stores and retail sales of 2,2 billion Euro, is the leading national buying group of sporting goods in Europe.

Franz Julen, CEO of IIC - INTERSPORT International Corporation: „Granting the licence to INTERSPORT Germany e. G. and the co-operation with their partner MAKS Sport S.A. is another step of a successful expansion strategy of the INTERSPORT Group. Both partners have excellent market know-how and experience and through this co-operation both parties will benefit from great synergies in purchasing, central settlement, marketing and logistics. It is a win-win situation, from which our customers will profit and which will further enhance the positioning of the brand INTERSPORT in Eastern Europe and guarantee further growth in economically hard times.”

With a turnover of EUR 7.3 billion and more than 4,800 specialist sports stores in 29 countries, the INTERSPORT Group has further strengthened its position as the leader in the world sporting goods market.