Latest News & Analysis – Page 283

  • Article

    The Dutch Beaver Is Set For The 21st Century

    2010-12-20T00:00:00Z

    Bever Zwerfsport, the leading Dutch outdoor retailer, has entirely updated its store format, as displayed at its revamped store in Nijmegen earlier this month. This comes after the company’s management was entirely shaken up earlier this year and its fresh leadership felt that an extensive overhaul was long overdue. ...

  • Article

    Sportler And Gigasport Create An Austro-italian Connection

    2010-12-20T00:00:00Z

    A new buying group is about to combine the bargaining power of major retail players in the sports and outdoor markets of Austria and Italy. The new entity is called Sport Alliance International (SAI) and can be defined as an extension of Sport Alliance, the Italian buying group based in ...

  • Article

    Lafuma Makes Progress On Various Counts

    2010-12-20T00:00:00Z

    While reporting a few days ago a net loss of €3.56 million for the French company in the financial year ended last Sept. 30, against a net profit of €1.66 million in the prior year, officials of the Lafuma Group emphasized several improvements in its underlying results and expressed confidence ...

  • Article

    New Ceo For Haglöfs

    2010-12-20T00:00:00Z

    Nicolas Warchalowski, sales and marketing director at Haglöfs, will become the Swedish outdoor company’s chief executive from the start of next year. He replaces Mats Hedblom, who will remain in touch with the company as its corporate adviser. The change comes just a few months after Haglöfs was acquired ...

  • Article

    Brunton Sets Up Its Own Euro Distribution

    2010-12-20T00:00:00Z

    Only a few months after the acquisition of Brunton by the Swedish Fenix Outdoor group, the new combination has been quick to set up an operating structure in Europe for this U.S. brand of compasses, binoculars, mobile energy collecting devices and other accessories. While the company is registered in the ...

  • Article

    Odlo Opens New Corporate Stores, Names New Executives

    2010-12-20T00:00:00Z

    The Swiss sportswear brand is busy developing its network of single-brand stores in various countries. While the company’s philosophy is generally to operate doors through franchises wherever possible, the latest openings were done by Odlo International itself or through its distributors. Two new doors are being added in Switzerland ...

  • Article

    Nike Opens Up Its Sustainability Tools Tothe Ndustry At Large

    2010-12-20T00:00:00Z

    Nike has released its Environmental Apparel Design Tool, which is supposed to facilitate collaboration among companies, speed up sustainable innovation and decrease the use of natural resources such as oil and water. The software-based tool helps designers make choices that lessen the environmental impact of their work. Based on ...

  • Article

    Ftx – A New Italian Brand Of Snowshoes

    2010-12-20T00:00:00Z

    Softly launched in 2009, FTX Snowshoes has sold about 10,000 pairs of snowshoes in Italy for the current autumn/winter season – not bad for a national market estimated at around 100,000 pairs a year and dominated by France’s lower-priced TSL brand. Entirely manufactured in Italy with thermoplastic materials, FTX ...

  • Article

    Two Bask Companies Coexist In A Russian Outdoor Market That Is Recovering

    2010-12-20T00:00:00Z

    Following a corporate conflict between its original founders and its subsequent financial backers, Bask, the well-known Russian producer and retailer of outdoor products, has disintegrated into two outwardly identical enterprises, ZAO Bask and NPF Bask, that are now running two different businesses and are owned by different parties. Confusingly similar ...

  • Article

    Merino Wool, The Great Unknown

    2010-12-20T00:00:00Z

    A new global fiber education campaign around the iconic Australian merino sheep, produced by Euro RSCG in London, has been launched by Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) to inform consumers about the benefits of merino wool. Although this animal is known for producing the finest, softest and lightest wool in ...

  • Article

    A.S. Adventure, Cabela’S And Jack Wolfskin Move Into France

    2010-11-22T00:00:00Z

    In different ways, all these three big foreign players are making their first forays into the big French market, where the national champion in the category, the Au Vieux Campeur chain, is still the only major specialty outdoor retailer that has managed to reach a leadership position, in spite of ...

  • Article

    Blacks Reduces Losses On Lower Sales

    2010-11-22T00:00:00Z

    Blacks Leisure Group also said in its interim statement that it was still in discussions about getting rid of its 10 remaining board sports stores. Meanwhile, the closure of 88 low-margin stores earlier this year caused Blacks to report a 23 percent drop in sales to £90.6 million (€105.1m-$146.0m) for ...

  • Article

    Globetrotter Invests More Than Ever In New Facilities

    2010-11-22T00:00:00Z

    Globetrotter Ausrüstung, the big fish in the aquarium of specialty outdoor retailing, has announced its largest investments in stores and logistics since the company was founded in 1979. The mail-order and brick-and mortar retailer is extending and partially shifting its ware house to a new logistic center in Hamburg-Rahlstedt on ...

  • Article

    Polartec Is For Sale And Offers Great New Gear

    2010-11-22T00:00:00Z

    U.S. publications have leaked the information that Versa Capital, the investment company controlling Polartec is ready to selling this major American specialty manufacturer of fibers and fabrics. Polartec declines to comment, but, reportedly, the owner wants $200 million. Apparently, two potential buyers have already walked away from the offer. It ...

  • Article

    Hi-tec Plans To Move To Amsterdam

    2010-11-22T00:00:00Z

    Hi-Tec Sports, the English brand of outdoor and other sports footwear, is going to move its head office to Amsterdam early next year. Established and still owned and chaired by an ebullient Dutchman, Frank van Wezel, the company has been based in Southend-on-Sea, on the southern coast of England, since ...

  • Article

    Berghaus Is Building Its Own “Haus” In Germany And A “Hus” In Scandinavia

    2010-11-22T00:00:00Z

    The British outdoor brand has decided to set up its own subsidiary for the German market, effective Jan 1. A management for these new operations is yet to be announced, but it is clear that Berghaus will take over the field sales staff from its current sales agency, Brandconnection. The ...

  • Article

    Salewa Appoints New Top Managers

    2010-11-22T00:00:00Z

    The Italian outdoor company has appointed Florian Miguet as the group’s commercial manager in Asia. This position is new and its creation came shortly after Salewa’s announcement to move into the Chinese market as we reported in our last issue. The 31-year-old, who is being trained at the headquarters ...

  • Article

    With A Young New Chief, Koflach Is Set To Expand Around The Globe

    2010-11-22T00:00:00Z

    Koflach, the originally Austrian brand of ski and mountaineering boots that is now based in Switzerland, has appointed Beat Müller to the position of the general manager. The 36-year-old held various management positions with Hilti, a company for construction equipment, and most recently with the Swiss Biketec company, marketer of ...

  • Article

    Trading Up Heats Columbia’S European Business

    2010-11-22T00:00:00Z

    While Columbia Sportswear is implementing an unprecedented marketing blast around the Omni-Heat technology, it is preparing to deploy an even more comprehensive global campaign for next year. This will accompany the introduction of outerwear and gloves with electric heat, which were unveiled in New York and Geneva earlier this ...

  • Article

    Sales Go Up For Black Diamond/Gregory

    2010-11-22T00:00:00Z

    In the third quarter ended Sept. 30, Clarus, the new parent company of Black Diamond Equipment and Gregory Mountain Products, had a 32.4 percent increase in consolidated sales to $33.9 million. However, pro forma sales (including the combined results plus the results of Gregory from July 1-Sept. 30, 2009) were ...