1998
The company was founded. The business started with the sale of German fitness equipment Kettler and Canadian York.
1999
A commercial agreement was signed with METRO, as a result of which the chain became the largest and most strategic partner of SPORT DEPOT at that time. Massive development of SPORT DEPOT in the country began through expansion of the distribution network and a significant increase in the product portfolio. A distribution agreement was signed with the fitness accessories brand Body Sculpture and the sauna brand Lagerholm.
2001
SPORT DEPOT opened an office in Niš, Serbia.
2003 – 2004
Expansion of the fitness equipment distribution network. Construction of a new SPORT DEPOT store in Varna began.
2005
SPORT DEPOT held its first dealer conference, gathering all dealers and partners from the country in Borovets resort.
Opening of the first franchise store in Blagoevgrad in September. By December SPORT DEPOT signed a distribution agreement with the Italian sports brand Lotto. This laid the foundation for SPORT DEPOT’s development not only as a fitness equipment chain but also as a retailer of apparel and footwear.
2006
SPORT DEPOT opened a new commercial and office building with an area of 10,000 sq. m near the “Business Park” in Sofia. The new and modern building houses the company’s offices, a fitness center, stores, and a service center.
2007
An office was opened in Bucharest, Romania. Trade agreements were signed with METRO and Carrefour in our northern neighbor. In November, SPORT DEPOT published Bulgaria’s first-ever sports goods catalog. The initial circulation was 30,000 copies, followed by two additional runs. The catalog included a wide variety of sporting goods from many different brands that SPORT DEPOT distributed on the Bulgarian market.
2007 - 2009
During this period SPORT DEPOT signed several key agreements with world-famous brands such as adidas, Puma, Nike, and many others. Thanks to this, the chain’s product portfolio expanded significantly, and the appearance of the stores changed completely. New stores also opened in Sofia, Varna, Plovdiv, Stara Zagora, and Burgas. Franchise locations expanded in cities such as Sliven, Lovech, Haskovo, and Kyustendil.
2009
This year was a milestone in the history of SPORT DEPOT, as on June 1 an agreement was signed with SPORT 2000 International. SPORT DEPOT became part of one of the largest sports goods chains in Europe. With the signing of this agreement, SPORT DEPOT gained access to more favorable trade terms and a broader product portfolio, enabling it to offer much more to its customers. The stores changed their look, followed by a process of rebranding, logo change, and company identity update. In September, SPORT DEPOT opened the first franchise store under the SPORT 2000/SPORT DEPOT brand in Sliven.
2010
SPORT DEPOT signed an agreement with SPORT 2000 and obtained the rights to represent the brand also in Serbia. The first SPORT 2000 store was opened in Niš in March. The store has an area of 300 sq. m and is located near the city center.
2011
New stores opened in the cities of Lovech, Gabrovo, and Ruse. SPORT DEPOT signed an agreement and became the official distributor of the world-famous outdoor brands Ice Peak and Jack Wolfskin.
2012
Opening of new SPORT DEPOT stores in Bulgaria Mall and Galaxy Trade Center in Sofia, as well as stores in Veliko Tarnovo and Pleven. A distribution agreement was signed with the American sportswear brand Champion.
2013
New SPORT DEPOT stores opened in Paradise Center in Sofia and on the main street in Dupnitsa. SPORT DEPOT started distributing the ski equipment brands Nordica and Tecnica, marking the beginning of expansion in both retail and wholesale of ski equipment, ski rental business, and partnerships with various ski clubs. That year, SPORT DEPOT launched online sales in Romania at www.sportdepot.ro.
2014
SPORT DEPOT became the official distributor of Speedo for Bulgaria and Romania, creating many new business opportunities. Importantly, Speedo International carefully studied the company and, seeing the huge potential and strategy of the chain, contacted the management themselves to initiate sales through Sport Depot.
2015
SPORT DEPOT became the distributor of the brands Dakine and Havaianas for Bulgaria. A new store opened in Blagoevgrad, as well as a specialized outdoor gear store in Serdika Center, Sofia. SPORT DEPOT signed a historic agreement with football club CSKA to equip the team with the Italian brand Lotto. SPORT DEPOT stores became the official outlets where CSKA fans could find both official kits and licensed fan gear. Part of the sales were allocated by SPORT DEPOT to support the club.
2016
Opening of two new stores in Park Center in Sofia (formerly City Center Sofia) and in Markovo Tepe Mall in Plovdiv.
SPORT DEPOT started distribution of the brands Under Armour, Skechers, and Caterpillar in Bulgaria.
2017
SPORT DEPOT founded a new chain called District – stores specialized in sports and lifestyle footwear from top brands. The first District store opened in Serdika Center Sofia, and just a month later another District store opened in Bulgaria’s largest shopping center – Paradise Center in Sofia. Shortly after the opening of the first stores, the online platform www.districtshoes.bg started operating. A year later, sales expanded to neighboring Romania – www.districtshoes.ro.
In April, SPORT DEPOT relocated its existing store in Paradise Center to a new location and opened a much larger store with an area of 800 sq. m.
2018
Anniversary year for SPORT DEPOT – 20 years since the company’s founding. The District chain continued its growth with the opening of two new stores – in Mall Plovdiv and in Burgas Plaza. A new SPORT DEPOT store was also opened in Burgas. In addition, distribution of the outdoor brands Osprey and Berghaus, ski equipment brand Fischer, and children’s brand Lego Wear began. On July 6, an agreement was signed with FC Levski for Nike team equipment.
2019
SPORT DEPOT opened a new store in Burgas, and in Delta Planet Mall in Varna, outlets of both chains – SPORT DEPOT and District – opened their doors.
In the summer of 2019, SPORT DEPOT expanded into the Balkans, opening the largest sporting goods store in Northern Greece. The store in Limani Center, Thessaloniki, was our first location in our southern neighbor, preceded years earlier by the online store www.sportdepot.gr.
2020
In May, we opened our third store in Plovdiv, located in the Via Park shopping center.