Sporthaus Schuster adopts head-to-toe approach for cycling apparel

Community rides, new brands and a growing interest in races beyond the Tour de France show that cycling has become a trend sport, much like running. It inspires both city dwellers and people in the countryside. Sporthaus Schuster - a renowned, family-owned sporting goods retailer based in Munich, Germany - has recognised this and realigned its bike category.

Until now, the approximately 400 square metre retail space, dedicated to a head-to-toe approach for road cycling, mountain biking and commuting, was not so clearly divided into these individual themes. This changed with the reopening this week, which will also see the “road bike” segment grow by 50 percent. A total of 50 brands can be found in the cycling department, eleven of which are in the textile sector. These include Café du Cycliste from France and the German brands Gonso and Fingerscrossed. However, bicycles are not part of the range.

Managing director Konstantin Rentrop explains why the Munich-based sporting goods retailer has decided to reorganise its range right now. He also discusses which other sports are currently popular and how the company is dealing with competition from large sports chains.

Why did you decide to expand the bike segment so prominently right now?

We have been covering the bike theme holistically for a long time. What is new, however, is the sharpening of our profile. As a sports house in Munich city centre with 5,000 square metres of space and an associated online shop, our focus is strongly on the metropolitan region. Our philosophy is that during the week you do sport to stay fit, and at the weekend you look for adventure in the Alps.

Cycling has always been a mainstay, from performance-orientated road bikes and mountain bikes to urban commuting. However, we have observed that the road bike segment has developed enormous momentum towards community and lifestyle in recent years. This is exactly where we come in. We are now focusing much more on the road bike type and the local scene.

Is the focus on the retail space increasingly on apparel brands to reflect the current trends of the “bike bubble”?

We follow a consistent “head-to-toe” approach. This means we offer a curated range of textiles, hardgoods and equipment. What we deliberately leave out are the bicycles themselves. In Munich city centre, space is limited and not available for this. If you offer bicycles, you must also provide the corresponding service and a workshop.

Instead, we concentrate on the apparel and equipment niche. While we cover the entry-level segment, we are expanding the top end of the range to be much more lifestyle-orientated. We don't want to copy the sheer mass of a huge e-commerce player. We curate strictly and focus on selected brands, including local heroes like Fingerscrossed from Traunstein. In terms of equipment, the spectrum ranges from high-end shoes to modern glasses. In the end, it is a four-part harmony of range, advice, service and community approach.

Are there any hype categories at the moment, apart from road cycling?

We are seeing very current trends such as Padel or the indoor fitness competition Hyrox, which is currently shaking up the fitness and running market. The trend towards running continues unabated, experiencing a strong pull from the lifestyle sector. The target group is becoming younger, more urban and the gender distribution more equal. An important sub-segment is trail running. If you look at the number of participants at events like the UTMB [Trail Ultramarathon, ed.] in Chamonix, you can see the huge potential.

In addition, wellbeing, health and longevity are major topics, from nutrition and supplements to recovery products. The first brands with new product types are entering the market here. Consumers today lead a much more active lifestyle than they did 15 years ago and therefore have a great interest in this area. However, it is not yet a major topic in sales.

What topics are currently important for you as a sports retailer in order to better advise customers?

On the one hand, there are digital services that we group under “push-to-store”, such as digital appointment booking for a running analysis. When the customer has a fixed appointment and a specialist advisor is available, the conversion rate is over 90 percent. Click and collect is also growing steadily.

On the other hand, I see enormous opportunities in digital consulting through artificial intelligence (AI). This allows us to significantly improve the digital customer experience. For a family-run, medium-sized company like us, AI also offers opportunities that we would otherwise hardly be able to afford financially.

Of course, sustainability remains a central theme. Customers specifically ask about production chains and fair working conditions. We need to constantly expand our expertise in this area.

Are customers more informed overall and does this play a role in the consultation?

The preliminary information is absolutely there. The purchase intention of visitors to the store is probably higher today than it used to be. We also experience so-called “consultation theft”. The ROPO (Research Offline, Purchase Online) effect has been around for a long time. There is a counter-trend, however: the need for community and personal encounters, especially after the pandemic. The more digital our lives become, the more people are interested in personal exchange.

You can no longer simply convert consumers today; we are convinced that real connections must be created. This is where brick and mortar retail can hold its own against e-commerce.

As a retailer, how do you manage to implement the community theme in concrete terms?

We founded a running community four years ago. Events have always been an important anchor for us, as we believe in the value of personal encounters. We concentrate on the Munich region and try to create added value that others cannot offer in the same way. While many brands have their own communities, we see ourselves as a platform. Every two to three weeks, we organise running events with 100 to 150 participants, where products from different brands can be tested. This multi-brand approach is our advantage. We want to merge the online experience with the local community and the in-house consultation to create a consistent experience.

How do you assess the current consumer restraint in the sports trade?

A forecast is difficult due to the current geopolitical situation. The outdoor and sports market was largely flat last year and is only expected to grow by around two to three percent annually until 2030. We had a very strong year last year, also due to special effects, which we can now compensate for well with new product range themes and more quality in many areas. Despite the consumer mood, I believe that moderate growth will continue, as health and sport remain basic themes.

High-quality and durable products will continue to be in demand, as customers want to avoid making bad purchases. Whether the sports trade will grow overall this year remains to be seen, as external effects such as the economic recession are very acute.

How do you rate the competition from large sports chains or discounters?

I have a very positive view of it. We are specialists in a niche and differentiate ourselves through quality and advice. Discounters or large chains are the ones who get people into sport in the first place. We benefit from this indirectly. When someone gets into sport and later wants to invest in more durable products, we come into play. Even when large chains or brand flagship stores open, it makes the ‘Munich marketplace’ more attractive and creates a pull effect for the city centre, which ultimately helps us.

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