PARIS – Sales of mail order sporting goods in France have pushed past 1.3 billion francs ($216 million) and are expected to hit 2 billion francs ($333 million) this year in the wake of French World Cup Fever.
More and more catalogers including US-based Genesis are entering the market. Genesis launched “USA pro Sports” earlier this spring to capitalize on growing interest in American sports (see DM News International May 11, p.1).
French catalogers are targeting individual sports as well as pushing multi-sport books and many of them adopt English language names to add cachet and verisimilitude.
Recent entries include Foot Center, Rugby Shop, Tennis Pro, Golf Plus, Judo International, Totem Sport Baseball, Neway Bike Shop-Action, Pro Fitness, Horse Wood, Somewhere, Uncle Sam, Discount Marine Equipment and The Subway of Life – a swimming book.
Catalogs cover the sporting waterfront from aeronautics, marital arts, automobiles, basketball and fencing to soccer, golf, handball, jogging, camping, swimming, rugby, fishing, tennis and volleyball.
