French sneaker chain Courir expands to Flanders

After a successful start in the French-speaking part of Belgium, French sneaker chain Courir plans to cross the language border soon, spurred by the ambitions of its new owner.

High ambitions

The first Flemish store of the French retailer will open in the Waasland Shopping Center in Sint-Niklaas, real estate agent CBRE says. The retailer made its Belgian debut last year with two stores in Brussels, more specifically in shopping centre City 2 and along the Chaussée d’Ixelles. This was followed by openings in the Woluwe Shopping Centre and in the Ville 2 shopping centre in Charleroi. Openings are also planned in Liège (Galeries Saint-Lambert), Louvain-la-Neuve (L’Esplanade) and Tournai (Les Bastions).

Courir was sold by the Go Sport group to investment fund Equistone early last year, and the new owner has high international ambitions with it. The chain calls itself French market leader in fashionable sneakers and distinguishes itself from its competitors by its strong commitment to a female target audience. The retailer has some 250 stores throughout France and several dozen international outlets in Luxembourg, Poland and Spain, as well as outside of Europe in the Maghreb, the Middle East and the French overseas territories. Portugal will complete that list before the end of the year.