Maier Sports, the German marketer of outdoor and ski apparel, filed for receivership last Friday. The receiver is Reinhard Schmid, a lawyer from Stuttgart. Sources say that Maier has been in trouble for a while, partially due to its price-driven but low-profile offer of functional outerwear. Another reason for the difficulties could be the acquisition of US40, whose business was farmed out through a license agreement to a smaller local company in 2007. Industry observers say that Gonso, the strong German brand for bikewear, is still the workhorse in Maier’s stable. (Read more in the next issue of SGI Europe).
