Adidas Group reported its combined sales in Germany, Austria and Switzerland hit the €1 billion mark for the first time in 2014.
The company provided the results ahead of the international sporting goods fair ISPO, , which begins in Munich on Thursday.
In its native Germany, Adidas sales increased 15 percent in 2014 thanks to sales of German national team (DFB) replica jerseys during the 2014 FIFA Football World Cup. Adidas sold three million DFB jerseys altogether, which was twice as many as for the 2006 World Cup in Germany. Total football product sales for Adidas in Germany increased more than 30 percent in 2014.
Sales of Adidas running, training and lifestyle products also grew strongly in Germany, while sales of Reebok rose 9 percent in its home market. All distribution channels contributed to the sales growth of the two brands. Notably, sales in the own-retail segment increased at a double-digit rate, with particularly strong growth in the e-commerce business.
“Our business in Germany, Austria and Switzerland is growing significantly faster than the sporting goods market as a whole,” said Roland Auschel, Adidas Group Executive Board Member responsible for global sales. We are very pleased with our development, but we remain on the attack.”
The brand with the 3-Stripes continues to enjoy unbroken popularity in Germany, as shown by the recent survey 'The Germans' Favorite Brands', conducted by Brandmeyer, an agency for brand consultancy: Adidas ranked top of the list for the third time in a row.
“Consumers
are more in the mood to buy than they have been for a very long time,
and they are showing a palpable desire to buy Adidas and Reebok,” said Winand Krawinkel, Managing Director Central Europe for Adidas.
Adidas Group will create more than 200 new jobs in Germany alone this year.
