BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
Two major online marketplaces have joined forces to form a new Europe-wide online retail platform.
French platform Private Sport Shop, founded in 2011, has now merged with London-based SportPursuit to form Sportscape Group, combining to create a business with more than €200 million (£172 million) sales across France, UK, Germany and 10 other countries in 2021.
Before the merger, Private Sport Shop, backed by Bridgepoint Development Capital, was a sports and outdoor flash sales business with more than 15 million members, generating 11 million visits per month in 2021. The platform supports over 2,000 brands across 100 sports, including cycling, with brands like Niner bikes, 100% and Sportful.
SportPursuit, also founded in 2011, is backed bd-capital, and has more than 9 million members focussed in the UK, Ireland and Germany. The site specialises in outdoor activities, including cycling, with brands like Altura and Mavic included in its listings.
Sportscape Group will be led by Sebastien Rohart, current CEO of Private Sport Shop. He will be supported by the current exec from both companies, with Adam Pikett, current CEO and co-founder of SportPursuit, taking up the role of chief vision officer for Sportscape Group. Both Luke Pikett, MD and co-founder of SportPursuit and Yannick Leouffre, MD of Private Sport Shop, will continue to lead the SportPursuit and Private Sport Shop businesses day to day.
Sebastien Rohart, CEO of Private Sport Shop and new Sportscape Group CEO, said: “I am excited to become the CEO of Sportscape Group. The combination creates a European leader with a unique proposition for our customers and brand partners alike. In particular, the combination of Private Sport Shop’s huge sport coverage and social media presence with SportPursuit’s technology and data expertise.”
The new Sportscape Group platform now boasts more than 2,500 brand partners, reaching 24 million consumers. The brand says that 90-95% of its traffic originates organically from its own audience.
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Adam Pikett, co-founder and CEO of SportPursuit and new Sportscape Group Chief Vision Officer, said: “At SportPursuit, we have known and admired the Private Sport Shop team for many years, building strong complementary businesses alongside one another. As the co-founder of SportPursuit it is super exciting to have this opportunity to bring the two businesses together to create an even better, even stronger platform to support our brand partners and inspire our shared customers.”
