The Austrian retail group SPAR has completed the sale of its sports retail subsidiary Hervis to a new ownership consortium led by Sven Voth, founder of the German streetwear and sportswear chain Snipes, and Udo Schloemer, founder of the innovation hub Factory Berlin. The transaction was signed and closed on January 23, 2026. Financial details of the deal have not been disclosed.
With the acquisition, all 134 Hervis stores and the entire workforce are being transferred to the new owners. The store network spans Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, and the German state of Bavaria. The buyers have announced their intention to retain the Hervis brand and to reposition it strategically within a rapidly changing sports retail market.
Hervis has been part of the SPAR Group for more than five decades and is one of the most established sports retail brands in Austria, with strong name recognition across Central and Southeastern Europe. However, SPAR has increasingly concentrated its investment efforts on its core grocery retail operations — currently active in five countries — as well as on shopping center development and real estate. Against this backdrop, the divestment of Hervis represents a clear strategic realignment.
Strategic Refocus at SPAR
According to SPAR, the new owners bring strong entrepreneurial experience and a long-term perspective that should enable Hervis to adapt successfully to new market conditions. The sale follows earlier signals from SPAR management that decisions regarding the future of the sports retail chain were imminent.
A Brand in Transition
The change in ownership comes at a challenging time for the sports retail sector. After extraordinary demand during the pandemic years, the industry has faced declining consumer spending, excess inventories, and intense price competition. Hervis has not been immune to these pressures and has undergone significant restructuring in recent years, including a withdrawal from several international markets. Operations in Hungary and Romania were sold to the British Frasers Group in 2025, while the company had already exited the Czech market earlier.
Despite these challenges, Hervis remains one of the largest sports specialty retailers in Central Europe. At the end of 2025, the company operated 91 stores in Austria and 43 locations in neighboring markets, generating sales of approximately EUR 314 million.
New Owners, New Direction
Sven Voth is a well-known figure in the retail industry. He founded Snipes in 1998 and helped build it into an international player in the streetwear and sports fashion segment, later partnering with the Deichmann Group. Together with Udo Schloemer, Voth plans to work closely with Hervis management and employees to reshape the business model.
The new owners see a clear need to reposition Hervis in response to shifting consumer preferences. Traditional sports disciplines are losing relevance for some target groups, while new forms of physical activity, lifestyle-oriented sports, and holistic health concepts are gaining importance. At the same time, trends such as digitalization, health awareness, and longevity are opening up new opportunities for differentiation.
“We want to bring Hervis firmly into the realities of 2026 and rethink the sports retail model from the ground up,” Voth said in a statement. The goal is to realign the product range and customer experience with contemporary expectations and to restore sustainable profitability.
Digitalization and Customer Relevance
Key elements of the planned transformation include a critical review of future assortments, the role of emerging sports and movement trends, and the systematic use of digital tools across the value chain. The new owners have announced a comprehensive evaluation phase, the results of which will be translated into concrete measures over the coming months. Transparency toward employees, partners, and customers has been emphasized as a guiding principle of the process.
For consumers, continuity is assured in the short term. All stores will remain open, vouchers will stay valid, and online orders as well as service and warranty cases will continue to be handled as usual.
Competitive Landscape
The acquisition also takes place against a backdrop of consolidation in the Austrian sports retail market. Intersport and Sport 2000 remain the dominant players, while Hervis currently ranks third, according to market analysts. International competitors have followed different paths: the Norwegian retailer XXL Sports has withdrawn from Austria, whereas French discounter Decathlon has steadily expanded its footprint since entering the market in 2018.
Against this competitive environment, the future success of Hervis will depend on its ability to clearly define its positioning and to connect with new customer needs. With experienced retail entrepreneurs at the helm and a strong existing brand, the coming months will be decisive in determining whether Hervis can turn a new chapter in its long history.
(ps)
