The French shopping community Private Sport Shop and the British online retailer SportPursuit are joining forces. On Tuesday, the two companies announced their merger to form the Sportscape Group. The merger accelerates “the group’s shared vision to create Europe’s leading sports and outdoor community,” according to a statement. The merger will create “a company with a turnover of more than 200 million euros in France, Great Britain, Germany and ten other countries”.
The Sportscape Group will be headed by Sebastien Rohart, the previous CEO of Private Sport Shop. Adam Pikett, the co-founder and current CEO of SportPursuit, will serve as the new umbrella company’s Chief Vision Officer. The operational activities of the two merger partners will remain in good hands: Luke Pikett will continue to manage the day-to-day business of SportPursuit, Yannick Leouffre will retain his corresponding management role at Private Sport Shop.
Sebastien Rohart, the new CEO of Sportscape Group, explained the background to the merger: “The merger creates a European market leader with a unique offer for our customers and brand partners alike,” he explained in a statement. “We combine the enormously broad sports expertise and social media presence of Private Sport Shop with the technology and data expertise of SportPursuit.”
According to the Sportscape Group, the association has “a highly engaged digital community” with around four million social followers and over three million app users. The merger offers “the group’s brand partners a larger audience and broader geographic coverage, with strong and growing audiences in France, the United Kingdom, Germany and ten other countries,” according to a statement. The new group is now focusing on further growth and also holds out the prospect of acquisitions: “The merger will not only lead to significant growth through organic expansion, but will also form a strong basis for further M&A activities in Europe and beyond,” explained das Company.