Sports retailer Alpen has revamped its in-house e-commerce site to accelerate growth. It is strengthening its distinctive appeal through exclusive products and the use of AI, while pursuing initiatives to reinforce its running business.
Sports retailer Alpen revamped its in-house e-commerce site as Alpen OnLine in June 2025, integrating its sports, outdoor and golf e-commerce sites and enhancing search and comparison functions. This created a structure linking information and purchasing across its physical and online operations, with the aim of improving the customer experience.
It is expanding e-commerce-exclusive products as a key differentiator. To avoid the tendency for competition based solely on national brands to become a price war, Alpen is working with manufacturers to develop exclusive colors and collections. The e-commerce site features labeling promoting the products as “Alpen exclusive,” strengthening its distinctive appeal.
As part of its category strategy, Alpen has concentrated investment in running-related products in recent years, viewing the market as having significant room for growth against the backdrop of rising interest in lifelong sports and health. It is pursuing initiatives centered on running shoes across its stores, e-commerce operations and product planning.
Its content strategy is shifting from conventional recommendation-based content to gear-explainer videos drawing on staff experience. Content conveying product functions and the user experience is considered useful in purchasing decisions.
In June this year, Alpen introduced an AI shopping agent on selected pages for adidas products, establishing a system that recommends suitable products based on product information provided by the manufacturer. The company reportedly plans to expand the brands and categories covered in the future.