Government aid “too timid and too slow”. Intersport-Verbund steps in itself: No payments are due for dealers until 2022.
The complete failure of the winter season including the lack of tourists in the ongoing lockdown brings the over 100 Intersport retailers in Austria to their financial limits. Since government aid would arrive “too timidly and too slowly”, the Intersport association is now stepping in itself with a support package for sports retailers, the company announced on Wednesday.
All deliveries of winter goods from the warehouse in Wels can be valued for 12 months up to the year 2022. “Until then, no payments are due for the dealers,” said Intersport Austria boss Thorsten Schmitz according to a broadcast.
Storage issues are also a challenge
In addition, the dealers can send goods back, which should ease the situation on site. “Because not only the financial aspect is decisive – the warehouse issue is also a major challenge,” said Schmitz.
The corona-related failure of the winter season poses major challenges, especially for retailers in the tourist regions, with sales declines of up to 95 percent. An opening of the shops from February 8th is increasingly unlikely.
Intersport is represented in Austria with 104 dealers at over 280 locations and employs around 3,700 people.
