Industry representatives are hoping for further support services for sports retailers and the sports industry in the next few months.
The sports retailers will receive a lockdown turnover replacement of 40 percent – this was announced by the Association of Sports Goods Manufacturers and Sports Equipment Suppliers in Austria (VSSÖ) on Monday evening, referring to the ordinance published today by the Ministry of Finance. The industry had warned in an open letter to the government over the weekend that without “adequate sales compensation”, many sporting goods retailers were threatened with bankruptcy.
“With the 40 percent revenue replacement, the federal government is taking an important first step towards maintaining the diversity of the Austrian sporting goods industry. A split would have been fatal,” said Michael Nendwich, spokesman for specialist sports retailers in the Austrian Chamber of Commerce, on Monday evening, according to a statement.
“The coming weeks and months are crucial for the sporting goods trade and the sports industry. Sales are directly dependent on tourism and the cable car industry,” explained Christoph Bründl (Bründl Sports) and Atomic boss Wolfgang Mayrhofer, spokesman for the ski industry. “The biggest question mark and the sword of Damocles for us is when the borders to the original tourist markets and the cable cars can be reopened.” One must assume “that there will have to be further targeted support services for sports retailers and the sports industry in the next few months in order to prevent collateral damage.”
