Perry Sport and Aktiesport latest Dutch retailers in financial problems

Unlimited Sports Group, the parent company of the Dutch sports retailers Perry Sport and Aktiesport, have applied for court protection after financial difficulties. The financial problems emerged after the bankruptcies of department store V&D and shoe chain Scapino, where the sports chains operate with shop-in-shop formulas.

Perry Sport has 11 shops in various V&D department stores, while Aktiesport had 128 units in Scapino branches. Both companies have around 800 employees who have been informed of the news.

The majority of the 70 Dutch Perry Sport outlets have an independent store and therefore a restart seems possible, but this hasn't been confirmed yet. Aktiesport has 180 outlets across the Netherlands.

Apart from being affected by the bankruptcies of V&D and Scapino, both companies also had trouble competing with online stores specializing in sportswear. Perry Sport carries brands such as Adidas, Asics, Fila, Nike, O’Neill and Puma. Aktiesport is known for selling well-known brands at competitive prices and with special deals.

In 1866, the first Dutch branch of Perry Sport opened in Amsterdam, at the time named The English American Warehouse Perry & Co. From 2006 American company Unlimited Sports Group owned Perry Sport. Aktiesport was established in 1983 when the first store opened in Gouda.

Stores will remain in business for at least six more weeks.
 
By Shomara Roosblad