"Watering the flower tennis" - Hervis relies on white sport
Hervis, represented in Austria with more than 100 specialist sports stores, is also focusing more and more on tennis. David Tews (Head of International Marketing), online boss Stefan Ellmer and chief buyer Zlatko Plakalo spoke to tennisnet.com about the company's direction.
by Jens Huiber
last edit: Jun 08, 2021, 07:23 pm
tennisnet: Mr. Tews, Mr. Ellmer, Mr. Plakalo. How has the sports market in Austria changed during the pandemic, from Hervis' point of view?
Due to the current situation, but also due to Dominic Thiem's success, a lot of people in Austria have switched to tennis. Especially from the soccer field. We notice this above all through the inquiries in the top ranges. We want to focus on this in the immediate future as well. The amateur athletes identify very strongly with the stars of the tennis scene, not only in the racket area, but also in their outfit and shoes.
tennisnet: Do you see this positive development only linked to Dominic Thiem?
The tennis boom will last longer. Of course, young people need idols. When you have cool guys like Dominic Thiem, a lot of people say: “I want that too.” But at the end of the day, the clubs and their youth departments are asked to keep the boom going. Anyone who grew up in Germany at the time of Boris Becker and Steffi Graf knows that we didn't stop playing tennis when they both ended their careers. And especially after the Corona period, exercise is and will remain a very big topic. We can contribute a part here, and also support the “Move yourself” initiative from ServusTV. We also see a social responsibility here.
tennisnet: What is the penetration of the Austrian market by Hervis?
Hervis is currently represented with 108 stores across all federal states. Hervis has invested in after-sale service. There are currently 60 branches that offer a covering service for tennis players. Our employees are trained annually, and the offer is to be expanded.
tennisnet: How does it look online?
In the online area, assortment expansions are often tackled with partners such as Babolat in order to represent the top assortments such as club sets and bags. We have the option of using the entire Hervis branch network to sell tennis products. We offer a wide range of brands and products.
tennisnet: When Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal play the final in Rome on a Sunday, many fans want to order their outfits on Monday. Why does this sometimes fail?
That is up to the manufacturers. Initially, they only sell the outfits of the stars in a very “channeled” manner. The Hervis range definitely meets the needs of hobby and ambitious amateur players. Our price-performance ratio is very, very good. Thanks to our Click & Collect system, we are so well positioned regionally that every tennis player can order his equipment conveniently and easily from home or in the store and can also pick it up in a short time at a store of his choice.
tennisnet: Hervis and tennis. What should this relationship look like in the future?
We want to send the message that Hervis stands for tennis again and is an alternative on the market. Both in the service and in the product area. We invest in staff and material and have made a clear commitment to tennis. With its club card, Hervis already maintains contacts with more than 4,000 clubs in Austria - through various sports. We want to deepen this commitment even further.
tennisnet: What is your focus?
We constantly check cooperations. Sponsoring is not an issue at the moment. We are very well known as a brand in Austria and are very active in the media. For us, it's more about actively supporting groups, something that has already proven itself in other areas. Like with the scouts, where a classic sponsorship would not have helped either the scouts or Hervis. We see more meaningfulness and sustainability in the support of associations. At the moment we are really moving on the club level and not on the association level. We are rather looking for the regional connection. This is also the task of our branch managers: promoting and maintaining relationships with regional associations.
tennisnet: How important is tennis overall at Hervis?
Tennis is not yet the biggest player in the overall Hervis range. But tennis is a flower that should be watered and grown. At the moment the outdoor segments like cycling and running play an even bigger role. The nature-loving ranges are in greater demand on the Austrian market in particular. In the Corona period, cycling experiences a huge boom, the market is almost empty. E-bikes are almost a hot item. If the pandemic did anything good, it was the fact that people had to deal with their immediate surroundings. Also in the sporting area. Then in Austria people were running and hiking. Then there is the topic of training in winter - after all, many people have trained at home with an app. However, the trend and demand are also moving in the direction of tennis.