In view of the uncertain economic prospects, prominent sports brands are staying away from Europe’s largest trade fair, Ispo, in Munich this year.
The number of exhibitors at the industry meeting that opened on Monday fell from more than 2800 to 1500 compared to 2020, which corresponds to a drop of over 40 percent. Well-known manufacturers such as the US company The North Face are missing this year, as are European ski manufacturers. The Munich trade fair company is still expecting a large crowd: 50,000 visitors are expected at the three-day trade fair, as exhibition manager Lena Haushofer said. She was satisfied with the restart of the sports fair, which after almost three years of the pandemic can now take place again without corona restrictions.
Traditionally, winter sports and other sports in the fresh air are the main focus at the Ispo. However, Adidas, Nike and Puma were no longer present even before the corona pandemic. In the winter sports industry in particular, there is great uncertainty this year due to consumer restraint in Europe: “We are facing the most challenging winter season of all time,” said Haushofer.
The outdoor industry – without skis and winter equipment – has benefited from the corona pandemic in the past two years, which has resulted in a hiking boom, among other things. According to data from the manufacturer association European Outdoor Group, wholesale sales in Europe increased by almost 19 percent to 6.2 billion euros in 2021, of which 3.1 billion were for clothing and 1.8 billion for shoes. However, business is not going so well this year. According to a survey by the Munich Ifo Institute, sports shops are currently even more pessimistic than other retailers on average.
