Liesbeth Aerts brings Racketpro to Hove. — © Filip Spoelders
The Hovese shopping street has recently gained a specialty store. Liesbeth Aerts opened her shop Racketpro in Kapelstraat. “It was a dream that I had wanted to realize for some time,” she says.
Both Liesbeth Aerts and Racketpro are no strangers to the sports and leisure world. As the fourth generation, Liesbeth was at the helm of the well-known Belvu store in Edegem until the summer of 2020.
A few months later she started Racketpro. “Lately I have been running the business from my entrance hall at home in Boechout. I do this as a secondary profession, but the dream of opening a real store again kept haunting my mind. I enjoy the contact with the customers: presenting them with the ideal racket or shoes,” Liesbeth tells her story.
It is no coincidence that she has specialized in offerings for padel, tennis and badminton players. As a player she used to reach the national selections in badminton.
“It is a niche market that continues to be in high demand. I have been involved in the world of badminton since I was eight. I still play it. Since corona, padel has also been added. I know that I can help the players with stringing rackets, applying grips or looking for the right shoes. Most rackets can be tested. I also sell tennis shoes with smooth soles. These are mainly used in Antwerp, where indoor games are still played on mats. Sports clubs also find their way to Racketpro.”
Racketpro is even present in Edegem. “I have my self-designed Racketpro box at the Den Willecom sports hall. People can insert their racket to have it strung. When it is ready, they will receive a message from me with a code to pick up the racket again. Or they pick up their order there.” (fisp)
Racketpro is open on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., on Wednesday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. and on Monday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. or continuously at www.racketpro.be
