E-commerce hits sports shops hard – more can be forced to close



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A study by Dagens Industri showed that many athletes are going through a difficult period.

Last week, the quarterly report of the Norwegian sports giant XXL was published. Sales fell 6.2%.

"There are now shops with yellow lights and if we see a more negative trend, it may be necessary to close them," Ulf Bjerknes, CEO of XXL, told the Norwegian newspaper Nettavisen.

But also Intersport, Stadium and Team Sportia are difficult and may also be forced to close physical stores.

"We are constantly evaluating our store portfolio and it is more relevant than ever," says Intersport Sweden CEO Marcus Wibergh in Di.

The decline in sales in stores is explained by the fact that more and more people are now buying via the Internet.

"Today, all customers are digital and virtually every visit to the store is due to web searches to determine price, selection and reviews," said Lars Palmgren, CEO of Team Sportia, Di.

At the same time, major sports channels are investing more and more online. The combination of retail and retail is highlighted as a survival strategy.

"The whole business is currently facing a digital transformation, but the need for physical stores is still huge, and for us it's about winning the local game in the long run where e-commerce becomes a travel tool, but the store remains the most important team … goalkeeper, "said Team Sportia Lars Palmgren.

According to Marcus Wibergh, homeowners must also reduce rent unless more business premises are empty.

"There is a change in vision of leases and rents, we and real estate owners live in two different worlds."

But despite tough times, Magnus Wåhlander, CEO of Stadium, is optimistic.

"There is currently such a tendency to be active Sweden has understood that it is good to move without distinction of level.We want to help people to experience the active life", a- he told Di.

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