Hervis to close 17 stores in 2026: All locations & consequences

Background: Sale to Quantum Investment

The company's economic situation is strained: In the 2024 financial year, Hervis posted a loss of 43 million euros. According to the most recently filed financial statements at the company register, revenue stood at 252.66 million euros. According to its own statements, Hervis has been posting losses for years.

In April, the foreign business with 43 stores was also sold to an unnamed investor. This means the company will focus more strongly on the Austrian market in the future, in which it has held a dominant position for decades.

Affected locations at a glance

A further 15 locations are affected by the ongoing closures: Q19 in Vienna, Bischofshofen, Salzburg Forum, Hallein, Reutte, Kitzbühel, Lienz, Feldkirchen, Deutschlandsberg, Leoben, Liezen, Perg, Steyr, Wels, and Linz (Lentia). The store in Deutschlandsberg will be closed in the course of 2026.

According to Hervis, a social plan has been drawn up for the around 100 affected employees in Austria together with the works council and the trade union. This is intended to cushion the consequences of the closures socially. The company did not comment on how many of the jobs would be absorbed through relocations, severance payments, or early retirement arrangements.

Social plan for the employees

Hervis is one of the country's best-known sporting goods retailers and currently operates 93 locations throughout Austria. With the closure of 17 stores – roughly one-fifth of the store network – the company is taking a significant downsizing step. The closures will be carried out gradually, with the respective notice periods of the lease agreements being observed.

The industry has been under pressure for years: bricks-and-mortar sporting goods retail is suffering from competition from online retail and changing consumer behavior. With the sale to Quantum Investment Holding GmbH and the already completed sale of the foreign business, Hervis is repositioning itself. Observers see the consolidation as an attempt to bring the core business in Austria back into the black.

From the employees' perspective, it remains to be seen how the social plan will be implemented in concrete terms. The works council and the trade union are involved in the negotiations; details have not been made public so far. The affected locations are spread across several federal states – from Vienna to Salzburg and Tyrol to Styria and Upper Austria.