Good start for the OutDoor show
July 12, 2014 – Posted by EDM Publications
More visitors went through the turnstiles on the first day of the OutDoor show than one year ago, and the mood was generally positive through the second day, according to various exhibitors. It is not sure how many will stay all the way through Sunday, however, because of the final match of the football World Cup in Brazil between Germany and Argentina. We trust that we shall be able to provide figures for the number of visitors by country, like before, in one of the next issues of The Compass…
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Provocative T-shirts in a growing Chinese market
July 12, 2014 – Posted by EDM Publications
In 2013, the core outdoor market in China grew by 16.2 percent to 15.38 billion yuan renminbi (€1.82bn-$2.48bn). This is one of the numerous interesting findings of an annual market research project commissioned by the China Outdoor Association (COA) and the organizer of the Asia Outdoor trade show which will take place in Nanjing from July 23-26.
The researchers make the difference between the core market for authentic outdoor brands and the wider market which includes general sports brands offering a line of outdoor gear and retailers and suppliers which are basically not associated with the outdoor industry. The wider market reached a total of RMB 36.8 billion (€4.36bn-$5.93bn) at retail prices, with an increase of 12.9 percent. The good news is that the turnover grew faster last year than the number of points of sale, which went up by 11.9 percent to 12,420 units (many more figures in the regular issue and in a report on the Chinese sports and outdoor market due to be released by us shortly)…
At Asia Outdoor, the six member companies of COA are launching an initiative for cleaner air as the basis for healthy outdoor activities. They are going to put out a black T-shirt, each with their logo, the script “I need fresh air” and the provocative image of a gas mask. To start with, the companies will sell or just give away some 1,000 shirts. The campaign may be expanded later on, depending on the reaction to the initiative.
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Pertex is one of six first sustaining members of EOCA
July 12, 2014 – Posted by EDM Publications
Pertex has won two new important clients – Adidas Outdoor and Ortovox – for its lightweight, functional fabrics. Like some other suppliers to the industry, the company, which has been a property of Mitsui since 2006, has been boosting its marketing and sales activities lately, and its business in Europe has been growing nicely following the appointment of new agents, most recently in Germany.
Pertex will act as one of the seven first “sustaining members” of the European Outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA) along with Keen Footwear, Nikwax, Patagonia, Messe Friedrichshafen (OutDoor), Messe München (Ispo) and the European Outdoor Group. Each will donate an extra $10,000 a year to help pay for EOCA’s future personnel expenses. After growing by 53 percent over the past 18 months, EOCA will move to two funding rounds per year in order to raise more money for the environment.
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NEWS BRIEFS
Páramo, the apparel brand owned by Nick Brown, the founder and managing director of Nikwax, is showing for the first time at the OutDoor fair as it is moving into Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Páramo’s credo is a sustainable philosophy since the collection is entirely free of PFC and is sewed by Latin American women in need. The distribution will be selective. The move into Central Europe comes along with the creation of a website for direct sales which went live last autumn. Brand executives emphasized in Friedrichshafen that the line offered on the web shop will be higher-priced on average than the merchandise offered in independent retail stores.
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After the sale of eVent by General Electric a few months ago to Clarcor, a filtration specialty company, the supplier of laminates is presenting itself at OutDoor with a new corporate identity and innovative products. The logo is new and the company has added a new waterproof laminate, DVStorm, described as the most breathable membrane technology available. It adds to the other lines of waterproof products. The management has basically remained unchanged following the acquisition…
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The Thule Group has launched its first line of technical backpacks, to be sold from next February. The line is being presented at the OutDoor show in Friedrichshafen for the first time. It is divided into three sub-categories, ‘Thule Guidepost’ for large backpacks from 65- 88 liters, ‘Thule Capstone Hiking Series’ for smaller backpacks from 22 to 50 liters and ‘Thule Sapling’ for child carriers. Graham Jackson, who has been part of the Thule Group for seven years, was appointed category manager for the technical backpack range two years ago. Ty Wivell, a previous independent sales representative for Thule, Camelbak and Salomon among others and sales manager for Lowepro for the last two years, joined the company as sales category manager in April. He will take care of sales in the U.S. and Canada. Mark Thibadeau, former designer at Gregory, joined in May for the newly created position of lead technical pack designer.
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The French Outdoor Award for product innovation was won by Swelsy Tech, a French start-up that has developed a backpack with an adjustable volume: Sold under the Prism brand, it consists of a back panel with attachments of three different sizes, as well as helmet holders in various color combinations. The winning company was only established a few weeks ago but the team behind it has been working on the new product for nearly two years. The award was organized by Sporaltec and regional French authorities. While Swelsy Tech is currently based in Lyon, it will move to a start-up nursery in Annecy next year. During the OutDoor show, products selected for the award are displayed at Camp de Base, a special French pavilion, in Hall B3.
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It emerged at the OutDoor show that Fjällräven has left the Scandinavian Outdoor Group (SOG). The Swedish outdoor brand was one the most influential members of the organization, which has helped to place many of the Nordic brands on the international map. Fjällräven decided to quit just before the European Outdoor Summit held in Stockholm last October, due to disagreements on unspecified issues, and its membership expired in January. Tierra and Primus, two other brands belonging to the Fenix Outdoor group, are still members of the organization. The SOG said at a presentation yesterday that it now has 41 members, the latest entrants being Peak Performance (returning after several years of absence) and Nokian Footwear, the Finnish brand of rubber boots.
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>Haglöfs has seen its turnover increase at a double-digit rate so far this year and reorders have been up by 35 percent, with ample increases in both footwear and clothing. The rise is attributed to the improved situation in some markets and the brand’s expansion into Asia in the last two years, but even more so to the compact and focused aspect of the current range. To further improve its offering for the Asian market, the company will hire a product line manager to be based in Hong Kong. This recruit should help to develop a clothing range with some Asian adjustments, with more items suitable for warm and humid conditions, and with an Asian fit. Magnus Nervè, Haglöfs’ area manager for Asia, will be moving from Japan to Hong Kong, where the Swedish brand will share offices with Asics, its Japanese parent company. Meanwhile, the search for a new chief executive is ongoing…
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HeiQ is launching a new IT solution for garments, called “Identity,” which was developed in cooperation with a German IT specialist, Trace Key. “Identity” transforms the serial number of each product into a QR code that allows consumers to check in the store whether the product is an original, where the components of the product come from and where it has been manufactured. Clients from the outdoor industry are able to check the quality of the product and where and when it was sold. The IT solution is currently offered to clients from HeiQ, who already work together with the Swiss company for the usage of its textile finishes…
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Do you really understand the female consumer well enough to develop the most suitable products for her and to trigger the purchase? There are many different types of female consumers for sports and outdoor products, and they need to be addressed differently. Ulrike Luckmann and Karen Laubach have researched this subject in-depth over the last few months, interviewing many experts and using a survey of more than 3,000 women in Germany. They will present the main findings at a conference at the OutDoor show prior to the release of a study on the subject in September by the publisher of The Outdoor Industry Compass and SGI Europe. The conference is free for anybody to attend:
WOMEN & SPORTS – GERMANY Conference on Saturday, July 12 at 11 AM Room Paris – East Entrance
OutDoor will remain a trade-only show
July 11, 2014 – Posted by EDM Publications
Plans to open up the OutDoor show in Friedrichshafen to consumers for an extra day, as is already the case with the Eurobike show on Lake Constance, have been set aside. A majority of the members of the European Outdoor Group, which is sponsoring the fair, voted against the proposal just as the show was opening to the trade yesterday.
Participants in the EOG meeting decided, however, to find new ways of promoting consumption of outdoor products. The issue will be discussed in the morning before the European Outdoor Summit in Munich next October.
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Growth of 3.1% for outdoor in Europe, says the EOG
July 11, 2014 – Posted by EDM Publications
The European outdoor market expanded by 3.1 percent to €4,776 million at the wholesale level in 2013, based on the State of Trade survey compiled by the European Outdoor Group (EOG). The organization estimates that this amounts to retail sales of more than €10 billion before sales taxes. The number of units sold increased more slowly by 2.8 percent to 174.6 million, driven by footwear.
Germany alone remains the largest market in Europe, with sales amounting to 25.7 percent of the European tally. They amounted to €1,229 million at wholesale and were up by 3 percent for the year. Then came the U.K. and Ireland, with joint sales up by 3 percent to €638.5 million. They are ahead of France, where wholesale revenues of outdoor products were estimated to have advanced by 3 percent to €581 million last year. The market that displayed the fastest growth was Russia, where outdoor product sales climbed by 10 percent to €299 million, but observers felt that the sell-out was lower.
The survey showed growth for outdoor products across all regions and all categories last year. Some 53 percent of sales came from apparel and 27 percent from footwear. Among other categories, accessories and backpacks each accounted for 6.5 percent of European turnover, compared with 3 percent for tents, and 2 percent each for climbing equipment and sleeping bags and other travel gear, including mattresses.
The most vibrant category was footwear,…
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Patagonia is opening new offices in Europe
July 11, 2014 – Posted by EDM Publications
We have collected more information on this topic at the OutDoor show. Patagonia is planning to transfer some of its European operations from its present European headquarters in the French town Annecy to a new European office in Amsterdam. It also wants to open sales offices in London and Munich to be closer to its clients in two of its major European markets.
The reorganization is coming after a year in which Patagonia Europe’s sales grew by 18 percent to €52 million through the end of April under the leadership of Stefan Wahlén, the former executive of Nike and Peak Performance who has been charge of Europe, the Middle East and Africa over the past couple of years.
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A panel of experts has selected 35 products that have deserved an OutDoor Industry Award this year for their high degree of innovation or the quality of the design. Seven of them have received a Gold Award:
- Osprey’s Atomos AG65
- Toray’s 100% plant-based PES
- Salewa’s Speed Ascent
- Berghaus’ HyperSmock 2.0
- Primus’ Winter Gas
- Arc’teryx’ Alpha2 FL Men’s Shoe
- The North Face FuseformTM Originator Jacket
Some Notes:
Arc’teryx footwear is to be launched in about 1,000 stores next year, using some of the lamination technology that distinguishes the Canadian brand as well as specific footwear materials. The award-winning range features special elastic and breathable liners (some of them removable), along with one-piece, four-layer laminated uppers and Vibram soles. Development for the range was started in Annecy about two and a half years ago, supported by the footwear team at Salomon. However, Arc’teryx emphasized at a presentation during the OutDoor show that Salomon would not make use of the same technologies. Developed by Federico Sbrissa, a former executive of Dynafit, the footwear range complements an offering built up over more than two decades, from harnesses to backpacks, apparel and gloves. While Arc’teryx boasts one of the few remaining technical apparel plants in Canada, its footwear will be made in China.
Toray received the Gold Award at the OutDoor show for its plant-based polyester yarn, “ecodear,” which is made exclusively from renewable raw materials. The Japanese company is ready to market plant-based polyester using treacle, a by-product of sugar production. The first bulk production with the new material will start from 2020 and Toray is currently in talks with 7 outdoor brands for the usage of the new material in their production processes. The new ecodear plant-based polyester can be used for garments, bottles and packaging. The polymer is chemically identical to existing polyester from crude oil and can be used for all functions and applications. Toray has subsidiaries in Germany and in the Czech Republic and employs 40,000 people worldwide.
NEWS BRIEFS
Martes Sport, the Polish distribution and retail group, has expanded its licensing and distribution agreement with Hi-Tec Sports to 19 countries around Eastern Europe. While it previously covered Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and the Ukraine, another 15 countries were added, from the Baltics to the former Yugoslav Republic, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Moldova and Albania. While distributors in these countries previously had to buy Hi-Tec apparel and equipment directly from China, they will be able to lean on the well-oiled infrastructure and stock of Martes Sport in Poland. The company is currently building a large-scale extension of its warehousing facility in Bielsko-Biala (more news on Hi-Tec in the next issue).
Vaude is expanding its franchising concept outside Germany. For mid-October, Vaude plans the opening of the first store in Switzerland. Encompassing 220 square meters, it will be in Zurich and will be managed by the outdoor retailer Spatz Camping & Outdoor Equipment, which has a store in the city, offering outdoor and camping equipment. Its Vaude store will be incorporated into a large Spatz store that will be opened this October in Zurich, measuring 1,400 sqm.
A lot of action at Sympatex
July 10, 2014 – Posted by EDM Publications
Michael Kamm, chief executive of Sympatex Technologies, has disclosed that the refinanced company is discussing the acquisition of another firm, and that it is working on optimizing its textile manufacturing operations in Zittau to raise production levels and improve profitability in the long term.
Sympatex’ sales went up by about 3 percent in the first five months of this year, but orders have increased by 43 percent, due in particular to strong demand by some European railroad companies for functional clothing. Sympatex has also boosted its marketing and PR activities this year…
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Lowa is back on the road to success
July 10, 2014 – Posted by EDM Publications
The German-based producer of outdoor shoes, which is still under the control of Italy’s Tecnica Group, managed to increase its total consolidated sales from €140 million in 2012 to €152 million in 2013 and expects to lift its consolidated sales once again to €161 million at the end of this year.
The number of Lowa shoes delivered worldwide went up from 1,787,929 pairs in 2012 to over 2 million in 2013. The last time that Lowa sold more than 2 million pairs of shoes was in 2010.
The outdoor industry managed to grow like before as retailers managed to adjust their inventories, says Lowa. Although the last winter was not very snowy, the company’s sell-in was successful, especially for its collection of winter city shoes.
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The Lifestraw sells more widely, does good in Africa
July 10, 2014 – Posted by EDM Publications
WaterNlife, the Danish company that took on distribution of the unique LifeStraw water purification system in Europe and some other parts of the world a year ago, has already placed the product in hundreds of European stores, including those of big chains such as Globetrotter in Germany, Naturkompaniet in Sweden, Snow+Rock and Tiso in the U.K. and Speydersport in Denmark. It is also offered on specialty online stores such as Campz in Germany.
New markets have been recently opened by the Danish distributor for this award-winning hydration system in countries such as Russia, Turkey and Japan. However, there are still some open spots such as Italy and Spain where WaterNlife, which will have a stand at the OutDoor show in Friedrichshafen this week, is still looking for sub-distributors or agents. The product is already well-established in the U.S. and Canada, where it was first introduced three years ago by EarthEasy, a company based in Vancouver.
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SOME NEWS BRIEFS
Patagonia is said to be contemplating the transfer of its European head office from the French town of Annecy to a new location in Rotterdam. Some officials of Patagonia Europe are said to have left already. Observers have noted that Patagonia is the only foreign international brand to have its European office in the French town, where Salomon, Millet and other French outdoor brands are also located. Some speculate that the move to the Netherlands may be related to a possible change of ownership. Company officials could not be reached for comment, but we hope to find out more about this at the show.
VF Corporation has appointed Jeremy de Maillard as vice president of marketing for The North Face in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), replacing Eric Pansier who has left the group to pursue other interests. He reports to Arne Arens, vice president and general manager of TNF EMEA. De Maillard has been with VF since 2008. He has apparently done wonders over the past six years for another VF brand, Vans, which has grown very fast in Europe lately. Praising his “consumer understanding and digital marketing vision” a statement by the group says he played a key role in driving collaboration between marketing, sales, product and retail, helping to position Vans as a true icon in youth culture. De Maillard will be fully dedicated to TNS while continuing to oversee the new House of Vans project in London for the foreseeable future.
Deckers Outdoor Corporation has reported the appointment of Rob van der Vis as managing director for Teva‘s operations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. He will work from a new European headquarters for Teva in Rotterdam. Van der Vis previously acted as managing director for the Benelux countries for Teva and for two other brands of Deckers, Ugg Australia and Sanuk. Teva’s EMEA operations were previously steered out of Deckers’ office in the U.K. Meanwhile, Deckers has taken over the distribution in the U.K. of another recently acquired brand, Hoka One One.
Fjällräven has now a store in the important Karl Johan Gate retailing arbea in Oslo, the first one for the big Swedish brand in Norway. This subsidiary of the Fenix Outdoor group previously opened stores in Amsterdam and New York.
Polartec reported on July 4 that it has filed a patent infringement complaint with the German District Court in Düsseldorf against Pontetorto and its German sales agency, Christian Weichert Internationale Textilvertretungen. In the suit, Polartec is demanding compensatory damages and an injunction to prevent the sale of the infringing products. At issue is the Italian company’s Technostretch products. Polartec is complaining that they infringe on a European patent (EP 1 312 710 B1) for grid-back, knit construction textiles that is exclusively licensed to Polartec. The company points out that it invented modern synthetic fleece and that it holds over 135 patents worldwide.
A panel of six experts has selected the winners of this year’s OutDoor Industry Awards, tightening the standards. The number of competing products submitted by the exhibitors increased by 45 to 361, as compared to last year. However, the number of winning products, which will be revealed at the end of the first day of the show, has been reduced to 35, down from 52 in 2013, and seven of them were given a gold status.
Besides Arc’teryx’ first shoe collection, the new footwear entries at the OutDoor show in Friedrichshafen include Keen’s Uneek sandal, with its very original construction, and a hands-free shoe by Treksta