Masters to watch: Corbert Zuijdervliet of Intersport Twinsport

Corbert Zuijdervliet is the owner-director of Intersport Twinsport: "We create experiences in the stores by putting something in place for each article group so that customers get a feel for it. For example, in our store in Cruquius we have a strength room, so you feel like you're in a gym." Zuijdervliet talks about the company's rise.Text: Bart- jan Brouwer
Online editorial: Noa Verseveldt
Image: John van Helvert

Vechtmarkt

"With the financial support of my father, my little brother, together with a tennis instructor friend. Started a sports store in Woerden in 1993: Twinsport. A few months later I bought in for 4,000 guilders and opened a store in Leerdam. Meanwhile, we had become a member of purchasing combination Euretco, which had the Intersport license for the Netherlands. With annual sales of around 10 billion euros and 5,300 affiliated in some 40 countries, Intersport, which is based in Switzerland, is the global market leader in the distribution of sporting goods. The stores are independent and operate on the franchise principle. When we bought an Intersport store in Waalwijk as our third location in 1996, we too became a franchisee. Almost every year after that we opened a store, and the counter now stands at eighteen. In the meantime, another brother had joined and there were four of us. In 2019, I bought everyone out and continued on my own. I had all sorts of ideas - improving logistics, betting on online, working more efficiently...-, but then corona came along and sales collapsed. Fortunately we had liquidity through online, although the margins were bad: it was a fighting market. Since May 2021, we have been turning a profit again for the first time."

Red magnets

"We do everything in the field of sports and represent all the major sports brands, such as Nike, Puma, Adidas, Asics and Reebok, but specialize in certain article groups. The smaller stores, from 1,000 to 1,500 square meters, have a fixed assortment: running, tennis, training, sports, lifestyle, swimming, field hockey and soccer. The four larger stores outside the centers, at a PDV location, carry Bad-Beach in summer, Ski in winter and Outdoor all year round in addition to that assortment. Intersport Twinsport distinguishes itself first of all by its locations. We are mainly located in the big cities, but for example also in Alphen aan de rijn and Waalwijk. In my office hangs a map with seven red magnets on the locations where I would like to have another store. Secondly, we distinguish ourselves by the staff. I want hosts and hostesses who are friendly to the customer and have the expertise to give good advice. If someone comes in for tennis, there should be a salesperson who knows everything about tennis. And thirdly, we create an experience in the stores by placing something for each article group to give customers a feeling for it. For example, in our Cruquius store we have a strength room, so you feel like you're in a gym. And in other stores we have a soccer cage, for example. There you can try out stuff according to the try & buy principle. In the thirty years or so that I have been in this business, the products have become lighter, stronger and faster. You used to have only black soccer shoes, now you see gold, pink, red... Anything goes. You see that especially in soccer, really a sport that wants to stand out. Contributing to that fashionability are the replicas of club shirts. Thirty years ago, you hardly ever saw those. We respond to such trends. And also to the increasing popularity of sports such as padel. I go for the big business, not the niche. You won't find two hundred euro table tennis bats with us. But for major sports like soccer and running, you'll find everything, at a high level.

Waka waka

"I've always skated a lot, was even up against Junior Orange. I did the Alternatieve Elfstedentocht Weissensee twice: 200 kilometers in eight and a half hours. But I didn't start skating professionally because you couldn't really make money at the time. In my current position, I have the opportunity to try out the latest sports products and I get invited to many sporting events. What has stayed with me the most is the World Cup final in South Africa. Mandela was on the field, Shakira sang the official World Cup song Waka Waka, we went on safari. If only I had brought back a souvenir of everything I experienced in all those years. I do have a photo of me with Usain Bolt. Will I take Messi with me to MASTERS EXPO? At the fair, we want to promote the Cruquius branch in particular, with 6,500 square meters our largest store. Cruquius is only fifteen kilometers from Amsterdam and you can park in front of the door. We will promote the store mainly in the area of Ski at the highest level, with brands like Bogner, Goldbergh, Toni Sailer and J.Lindeberg. Online we have recently launched a new platform for our webshop, on Instagram we are trying to become stronger with a promotion where you can drive a BMW for free for a year, in corona time we remodeled all the stores... I want to be a player in this industry that you can't ignore. I want to achieve that with more larger stores in cities and outdoor locations. No red magnets, but green ones!"

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MASTERS #48 with guest editor-in-chief Joseph Klibansky