Triton owns stores under the Volution Sports and Sportsdome names
Introduce yourself and your Triton company to our readers.
Stefan Hoffmann, 37, married, a son (soon to be 2) and a dog. Passionate about sports and always looking for ambitious tasks. I founded Triton in 2008 as a classic consulting company with a focus on “sports consulting” and over the years have developed the company into a trading company with sporting goods and own shops (offline and online). We operate our stores under the Volution Sports and Sportsdome names. Sometimes we even had the franchise license for the Lacoste brand on Sylt.
Why did you decide to start a company?
I understood very early on that I wanted to develop my creativity and for years recognized a gap in the market in the sporting goods sector. At some point during my time at Jung von Matt, it became clear to me that I wanted to expand further and finally dare to become self-employed.
What is the vision behind Triton?
We want to offer customers a unique shopping experience with an unprecedented mix of brands. We are constantly looking for new brands and sometimes we are even a little ahead of the times. For example, we already had Veja in our shop in 2014. With some success. Unfortunately, we parted ways with the brand too early. But we learned from it.
From the idea to the beginning, what have been the biggest challenges so far and how did you finance yourself?
In fact, there are always big challenges. 1. Finding the right staff at the right time. 2. Financing growth in a sustainable way. 3. Try not to be the toy of big brands. We have had a partner company on board since 2014. Otherwise we are partly financed by banks.
Who is Triton’s target audience?
We want to target all sports enthusiasts, from young to old, with a high brand affinity.
How does Triton work? What are the benefits? What sets you apart from other suppliers?
We distinguish ourselves through our variety and diversity in the selection of our brands. We’re not too shy to dive in and try new things. This is also reflected in the shop set-up.
Triton, where are you going? Where do you see yourself in five years?
The road is ahead. In the retail sector, at some point we will put the crisis years (and current problems) behind us and look to the future with optimism.
Finally: What 3 pieces of advice would you give to potential founders?
Critically question your plans and figures.
Well-meaning advice and wisdom can never be adjusted at will.
Do not lose courage, optimism and perseverance.
Image: Photographer/Image Source: ©Magulski
We would like to thank Stefan Hoffmann for the interview
Statements by the author and interview partner do not necessarily reflect the views of the editors and publisher
