Champion Sports to open Paris store

Champion Sports is due to open its first store outside the 32 counties - in the Rue de Rivoli in Paris, France. The sportswear and accessories chain is to take over a 7,000 sq ft premises in what a spokesperson for the company described as "an extremely buoyant trading area in central Paris, much like our Henry Street".

Champion is hoping to woo the fashion-conscious French with the brands they stock, which include Nike, Adidas, Reebok and Fila.

They chose the Paris market because "the economy there is good for us and we will be a fresh face offering a good-quality product".

Champion identified a niche in the market for its format - "a medium-sized sports fashion and accessories operation as opposed to the mostly large department-type stores stocking heavy equipment that are already over there".

The company will be paying a rent of around £200,000 (254,000) for the Paris store. It intends to take a softly-softly approach and "dip its toe" in what is an unfamiliar market.

"We are conscious we have to learn the market. We have employed pretty much all French staff - a manageress and two department heads. A few of our Irish staff will also go over initially."

The Parisian store will employ up to 30 people. The chain's staff totals about 800.

Two years ago, Champion Sports paid in the region of £10 million to take over its rival, the Marathon sports chain.

There had been intense competition between the two chains, but Champion, owned by three businessmen, proved to be more aggressive - with a stronger financial base and sound knowledge of the property industry.

The chain now has 26 stores, including one in Newry, Co Down, and a turnover of £75 million (95.2m).

Its strategy to expand in the Republic with five new stores this year is underway.

One store has opened recently in the Pavilions shopping centre in Swords, Co Dublin, and another in the Savoy Centre, Cork.

The next store will be located in the newly-refurbished Dublin Airport in mid-July, and Champion will open its first Waterford store in September.

The chain will also move to a more high-profile 4,500 sq ft premises at the top of Galway's Shop Street. It previously had a 1,200 sq ft store in the middle of the street.