“You must never think that you have already arrived,” says Gert Vervisch (Regatta Benelux)
Gert Vervisch
Gert Vervisch, Country Manager of Regatta & Dare 2b Benelux, is a man with 26 years of experience within the same British family business, which has its roots in Manchester. What started as an agency in Belgium and Luxembourg grew into a leadership role covering the entire Benelux.
Vervisch worked for twenty years as an independent agent for Regatta in Belgium and Luxembourg. Afterward, he was given the opportunity to sell his agency to the parent company and continue as an employee. Not long after, the Netherlands also came under his responsibility. “I love challenges and I thought: why not?” he says. “I told the owner: I’ll do it, but we need to make a few structural changes. I was given carte blanche. You don’t get that kind of trust just like that.” That trust was based on years of results. But according to Vervisch, that doesn’t mean you can sit back and relax. On the contrary.
Regatta has traditionally been strong in sports and outdoor. But the market is changing. According to Vervisch, the number of specialized outdoor retail outlets is largely saturated. Growth must therefore come from elsewhere. “We have reached the maximum number of retail outlets in our segment. That is why we are now explicitly looking at the fashion industry.” In recent years, the collections have evolved towards lifestyle and fashionable items. This offers opportunities with fashion retailers as well as shoe stores. For further expansion, he is deliberately seeking people with the right connections in the fashion industry. “The brand is important, but the right person in the right place is at least as important. You need someone who is already inside that world.” He also sees potential in the footwear sector, particularly where functionality and lifestyle meet.
In addition to wholesale, Regatta is also investing in its own stores. Five of its own branches are currently active in the Netherlands, including Batavia Stad (Lelystad), Rosada, Breda, Amersfoort, and Arnhem. The store in Amersfoort was expanded in 2025 after the adjacent premises became available. “We simply had too much product to display everything properly. That expansion came at the right time.” The ambition extends further: Vervisch sees potential for at least fifteen own stores within the Benelux. The focus is currently on the Netherlands, but Belgium is also on the schedule. “I won’t put a timeline on it, because the market is changing too fast. But the ambition is definitely there.”
In addition to Regatta, Dare 2b is also part of his portfolio. Originally started as a ski brand, Dare 2b expanded into an all-year performance label with running, cycling, and fitness collections. “Consumers know us primarily for skiing. That repositioning requires time and energy, but we work on it every day.”
After 26 years in the industry, Vervisch has one clear career lesson: flexibility is not a choice, but a necessity. “You should never think you’ve arrived. You have to constantly adjust and stay alert to what is happening in the market.” According to him, the current retail world demands resilience. “The world is changing rapidly. You have to evolve with it. That is perhaps the greatest lesson I have learned.” And according to Vervisch, that is precisely where the strength of Regatta Benelux lies: keep moving, keep adapting – without losing sight of the long-term vision.