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City winter sports outfitters to close

The winter sports outfitters Ehrler Sport Zug in the city's Baarerstrasse is to close in two to three months' time, if stocks last out until then. As of Tuesday, owner Roman Bühler was not prepared to explain why the shop was to cease trading.
 
As from last Thursday, customers have been flocking to the shop to look for bargains in the "everything must go" sale, where prices have been slashed by as much as 70%. One customer said, "It is a shame the shop is closing down; the staff were always most helpful and attentive." However, a younger customer said, "I cannot understand why things are now so cheap when previously so-called special offers on display outside the shop were still as expensive as CHF200."
 
The original ski-shop was founded by Josef Ehrler and Rudi Besmer in 1935 on the city's Bahnhofstrasse behind Spillmann's pharmacy. Ehrler ran the shop for 40 years until handing over the business to his daughter Irene Uster-Ehrler and son-in-law Ruedi Uster in 1975. Under their management the range of winter sport articles was extended and on the occasion of the shop's 50th anniversary in 1984, it moved to new premises in the busy shopping area opposite the Metalli shopping centre.
 
In 2004 the business was bought by Roman Bühler from Root in the canton of Lucerne, having been employed in the business for 9 years. Under his direction the shop became an official partner of Intersport Switzerland, an association of over 200 winter sportswear outfitters in the country. However, by the time Ehrler Sport Zug celebrated its 75th anniversary, to which Liechtenstein ski-ing champion Marco Büchel was invited, the shop no longer belonged to the association. According to the latest figures from Intersport Switzerland, their turnover fell by 6% in 2011, a sign that the strong Swiss franc is causing customers to buy in the cheaper eurozone.
 
Ehrler Sport Zug is not the only winter sportswear outfitters to close in recent years. In 2007, Sport Bannwart in the city's Bahnhofstrasse also had to close, though it still operates a smaller business in Reiffergässli. Owner Urs Sidler has decided to specialise in tennis, running and ski-wear. He takes the trouble to go along to local tennis clubs to show his range of goods to players. "Even if I just get one order after a visit I regard it as a success," he said. He also lets out part of his shop to a racing bike dealer, "so this helps pay for my rent of several thousand francs," he added.
 
It is clear the sportswear industry is a highly competitive one, with the Athleticum sports market opening up in Baar and Sport XX offering its goods for sale at the Zugerland shopping centre in Steinhausen. Then there is Ochsner Sport in the Metalli Centre and, as recently reported, a Stöckli Outdoor Sports shop is soon to open in Cham.
 
Steve Schennach of Ochsner Sport Switzerland does not deny the fact that turnover in this larger retail outlet has increased recently but he also pointed out that the number of sportswear shops in the country had remained more or less the same and that some, even the smaller ones which specialised in snow-boards, running or golf equipment, were very successful.     
 


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