International sports multiples have made little headway in Germany, with many deterred by the country’s restrictive retail legislation. With the home shopping channel retaining its popularity among German consumers, sports specialists accounted for just under 60% of the German sports goods market in 2004, higher than only Italy among the European countries covered by Mintel’s research. The two main buying groups, INTERSPORT and Sport 2000, are estimated to hold more than 80% of specialists’ sports sales, with the relative importance of the grocers increasing, especially with the likes of hypermarket operator Real expanding the sports element of its non-food ranges.

Retail sales appear to have reached the bottom in Germany and are expected to pick up slowly in 2005. The next FIFA World Cup, being played out in Germany in 2006, may provide a much needed boost to the German retail economy in general, and to sports goods retailers in particular.

About Mintel’s report

Pooling together the latest market analysis and most sort after trend data, Mintel’s report offers you a fresh and independent understanding of the sector and its retailers. Use Mintel’s research to inform your investment decisions, guide operating strategy, pinpoint areas of potential and to:

Gain fresh insight into the German sports goods market, its value and trends, its channels of distribution and the factors affecting it

Identify the market forces that serve to encourage or restrict market growth

Gather in-depth information about consumer target groups, including a demographic breakdown of key target markets

Compare German consumer trends and typologies with pan-European data

Explore the market performance of specialist and non-specialist sports goods retailers operating in Germany, including Garant Schuh & Mode, SportScheck and INTERSPORT International Corporation

Evaluate leading retailer’s retail strategies and their operating strengths and

Discover ‘what’s next’ for the German sports goods sector with in-depth forecasts put together by Mintel’s skilled analysts.

Intriguing findings include:

There is a clear bias in sport equipment buying towards the younger age groups. The only exceptions to this trend come from golf clubs, where the 35-64-year-olds posted the highest purchasing levels and purchasing was growing among the over-45s. The 15-19 age bracket ranked top only in bicycles, possibly reflecting their lower disposable income compared to other age groups.