The latest news, analysis and data on key outdoor segments including trail running, climbing, b/c snowsports, cycling, kanu & kayak, camping, adventure travel, urban outdoor, hunting & fishing and more.
Calida may be looking at strategic options for its outdoor brands
Swiss diversified group Calida said it was looking at “strategic options” for its French Millet and Lafuma outdoor brands following the already-completed sales of the Eider and Oxbow labels. The company said Millet and Lafuma “declined perceptibly” – due to Covid-19 curfews in France – as it reported its 2020 ...
AKU reintegrates German-speaking customer service into Italian team
Italian footwear company AKU is moving all customer service for German-speaking countries to the company’s headquarters in Montebelluna, Italy, effective March 1. All dealer inquiries such as customer care, order and delivery information, product information and order processing will now be handled and decided directly by the headquarters. According to ...
New investors for Garmont
Garmont International, the Vedelago, Italy-based manufacturer of outdoor and tactical footwear, has announced that Italian Strategy Private Equity (ISPE), managed by Riello lnvestimenti Partners, has acquired a 65 percent stake in the company’s share capital. The transaction is expected to be completed by the end of March. Thereafter, Pierangelo Bressan, ...
Osprey sues California-based company Aether over branding of backpacks
The Denver Post reports that in a federal lawsuit filed Monday, Osprey claims that a California apparel company is misusing the Colorado-based outdoor gear maker’s branding in violation of an earlier trademark agreement between the two companies. Osprey alleges that Aether, which has stores in Aspen, New York City, San ...
Rab presents free online premiere of “Over The Edge” for International Women’s Day
To mark International Women’s Day 2021, British outdoor manufacturer Rab presents the free online premiere of Over The Edge. The film (see trailer below) was initiated by Rab to mark the fifth anniversary of the Women’s Trad Festival and tells the story of the women behind the event. It follows ...
Edelrid launches new B2B and B2C information platforms
Edelrid, a specialist in alpine and professional climbing equipment based in Southwest Germany, is going online with a comprehensive new offering for information and training around its products.
It’s Great Out There Coalition launches Outdoor Activity Days concept
Introducing the new #itsgreatoutthere Outdoor Activity Days concept, the It’s Great Out There Coalition wants to allow more companies, organizations and individuals to get actively involved in the campaign while receiving clear and measurable results for every contribution to the organization.
The North Face launches campaign and collection celebrating women
For International Women’s Day on March 8, The North Face (TNF) launches the Explore Everyday campaign, celebrating women who push boundaries, who move mountains big and small, who are proud to be different and lead the way so others can follow their example.
Pieps launches voluntary product recall
Austrian avalanche transceiver manufacturer Pieps, like Black Diamond part of U.S.-based Clarus Corp., has launched a “voluntary product correction” initiative to improve the product safety of its DSP series avalanche beacons. In connection with the program, the company says, “Pieps has conducted extensive evaluations of the safety and performance of ...
Ortovox introduces waterproof PFC-free backpacks
Ortovox is presenting the Dry series, a collection of weather-proof backpacks for high alpine touring, mountaineering and climbing that are also completely PFC-free, as part of its spring/summer 2021 releases. The outer material of the backpacks is a combination of a thin PU outer coating and a TPU coating inner, ...
New Country Manager for Haglöfs Germany
Due to increased customer demand, the Swedish outdoor brand Haglöfs recorded double-digit sales growth in Germany and Austria last year. To further drive the brand’s development in these strategic markets, Matthias Leurs was appointed country manager for Germany and Austria earlier this year. He was previously working at Brooks, The ...
Boa helps drive strong Q4 at CODI
U.S. investment and holding company Compass Diversified (CODI) reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter net income, boosted by its acquisitions of Marucci and Boa Technology. The company said net income for the three months to Dec. 31 rose to $8.8 million from $5.4m a year earlier. Sales in the period increased to $475m, ...
Wolverine sees weak results, but remains hopeful for 2021
The year 2020 was a difficult one for Wolverine Worldwide. Looking on the bright side, the management said it delivered better-than-expected results for the fourth quarter and is poised to drive an accelerated recovery over the next 12 to 16 months. The group posted a double-digit sales decline in the ...
Boa helps drive strong Q4 at CODI
U.S. investment and holding company Compass Diversified (CODI) reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter net income, boosted by its acquisitions of Marucci and Boa Technology. The company said net income for the three months to Dec. 31 rose to $8.8 million from $5.4m a year earlier. Sales in the period increased to $475m, ...
La Sportiva adds three international names to its mountain running team
La Sportiva has expanded its mountain running team with the arrival of Jan Margarit, Mimmi Kotka and Alexis Sevénnec. Margarit, 23, was born in Matadepera, near Barcelona, and made his debut in trail running in 2015. Kotka, a 39-year-old athlete from Sweden specializing in ultrarunning, began competing in 2014 and ...
Garmin’s outdoor and fitness sales surge
Robust demand for advanced wearables and cycling products helped Garmin post record results for the fourth quarter of 2020. The company headquartered in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, with operational headquarters in Olathe, Kansas, which also makes equipment for the aviation and automotive industries, reported that its total sales rose by 23 percent ...
Fox International Group to support the Angling Trust
The Angling Trust, the representative body for anglers in England and Wales, has announced a new trade associate partnership with Fox International Group, one of the leading tackle manufacturers in Europe. As part of the agreement, Fox International will play an “active role” in supporting the organization’s work, including campaigns ...
Angling Direct posts 27% sales increase despite store closure in the U.K., boosted by e-commerce
Angling Direct, the U.K.-based fishing tackle retailer, saw revenues jump by 27 percent to £67.6 million (€77.7m-$94.5m) in the financial year to the end of January, despite the company’s stores in the U.K. were forced to close due to pandemic-related restrictions for 82 days last year, from March 24 to ...
BCF posts 50% revenue increase, with online sales more than doubling
Boating Camping Fishing (BCF), the Australian retail chain owned by Super Retail Group, recorded a sales increase of 50.9 percent in the first half of its financial year ended Dec. 26, 2020. The performance was largely driven by a 113.1 percent increase in digital sales as compared to the corresponding ...
Rather Outdoors buys Zebco Brands
Rather Outdoors has announced that it has acquired Zebco Brands, a manufacturer of fishing rods, reels and accessories, based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Through this acquisition, Rather expects to take full advantage of the growing interest in fishing, particularly in the segments of youth anglers and new anglers, where Zebco is ...
Mips divides product offering into five classes for better diversification
To help brands and consumers select and diversify its products, Mips, the Swedish provider of the eponymous helmet safety technology, has introduced a new product range to better define its helmet safety products and classify them according to their intended use. All future Mips-equipped helmets will be branded with the ...
Dorel raises purchase price to go private
Cerberus Capital Management has agreed to pay 10.3 percent more than previously planned to acquire control of Dorel Industries – whose assets include major bicycle brands such as Cannondale, Schwinn, GT, Mongoose, Caloi and IronHorse – following exchanges and discussion with shareholders holding more than 50 percent of the group’s ...
Syring to leave Thule, Dittmer takes over Central European sales
Thule Group announced on Jan. 29 that company veteran Wolfram Dittmer will assume sales responsibility for Central Europe as a result of the resignation of Thomas Syring, who led the Swedish brand’s Central European sales for the past four years. In total, Syring had been with the company for nearly ...
Dorel to appeal decision on retrospective tax payment in Europe
Montréal-based company Dorel Industries said it plans to appeal a decision that would force one of the company’s subsidiaries to pay €46.8 million in taxes plus interest in connection with the transfer of certain assets made in the context of an international corporate reorganization made in 2015. The decision was ...
Buff is a sponsor of the Tour of Flanders
Buff has joined for the first time the sponsor roster of the Tour of Flanders, the iconic road cycling race that is part of the UCI World Tour. This year’s edition of the Tour of Flanders is scheduled to take place on Sept. 18, after being postponed from the original ...
Simplon prepares for further growth by expanding facilities
Austria’s second-largest bicycle producer, Simplon Fahrrad, has set the course for further growth: the company’s parent, Simplon Holding, has just acquired a property formerly owned by Vorwerk Austria, only 90 meters from Simplon’s premises. It will be handed over on April 1, 2021. No details were given about the purchase ...
Will IAA Mobility become the new bicycle platform?
With its completely revised concept as a comprehensive show for mobility providers, the new IAA Mobility in Munich also aims to offer the bicycle segment an attractive platform. Like IAA in Frankfurt in the past, IAA Mobility under the aegis of Messe München will primarily be a B2C event. To ...
Accell reports strong results, headed by Europe
The post-Covid boom in the bicycle sector fuelled the revenues of Accell Group in 2020, which soared by 17.0 percent organically from the previous year to €1,296 million, thanks mainly to sustained high demand for bicycles, parts and accessories across Europe. The results do not include the group’s former operations ...
BCF posts 50% revenue increase, with online sales more than doubling
Boating Camping Fishing (BCF), the Australian retail chain owned by Super Retail Group, recorded a sales increase of 50.9 percent in the first half of its financial year ended Dec. 26, 2020. The performance was largely driven by a 113.1 percent increase in digital sales as compared to the corresponding ...
U.S. open-air outdoor trade show to debut in August in Park City
The first edition of The Big Gear Show (BGS), the first open-air outdoor trade show in the U.S., will be held in the mountain resort town of Park City, Utah, with the support of the Utah state government. The organizers of this new show, which is a year late because ...
Starboard and ICF partner up for the environment
To make future paddling competitions more environmentally friendly, SUP and windsurfing board manufacturer Starboard, founded in 1994, and the International Canoe Federation (ICF) have entered into a partnership that focuses on climate and water protection. The federation joins Starboard’s already extensive activities and will calculate the CO2 footprint of its ...
Shimano reduces water use and pledges plastic reduction
In its latest “ESG Sheet,” the company’s annual report on environmental, social and corporate governance initiatives, Shimano said it would reduce water consumption in its factories by about 7 percent by 2020, continuing a trend that began at least four years ago. The Japanese company that develops, produces and globally ...
Eurobike still on course for physical event in September
Messe Friedrichshafen reports that, irrespective of the currently still pending political framework for holding trade shows, there is high interest in the international bike industry for Eurobike 2021. More than 800 exhibitors have already registered for the 29th edition of the show, which is scheduled to take place Sept. 1-4 ...
Travel and leisure show f.re.e 2021 canceled
Despite fully booked halls, loyal exhibitors and partners, and interested visitors, Messe München has canceled f.re.e 2021, its travel and leisure show that had already been postponed from its original date in February to April 21-25, due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
Free online webinar by Equip with photographer Bernd Ritschel on Feb. 18
On the occasion of the recent certification of Equip (owner of Rab and Lowe Alpine) as a carbon-neutral company, as well as the group’s commitment to achieve net zero by 2030, Equip has invited its community to the free online webinar ”Alpengletscher“ (Alpine Glacier) by mountaineer and outdoor photographer Bernd ...
OS Maps launches in Australia, prior to expanding to more countries
Ordnance Survey (OS), the national mapping agency for Great Britain, has launched its walking and cycling app, OS Maps, in Australia. It is the first nation outside of Britain to have full access to this service, helping people create their own adventures in the outdoors. OS Maps is designed for ...
British National Camping Show postponed again
Following the British Prime Minister’s announcement of a cautious relaxation of lockdown restrictions in England, the National Camping Show organizers have had to decide to postpone the start of the consumer event once again. The show will now (most probably) take place at Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire from May 20-23, ...
Ortlieb launches new brand campaign (Video)
Ortlieb kicks off the 2021 season with a new brand campaign created by the Nuremberg-based marketing agency Stilbezirk that has already worked for other sporting goods brands, including Adidas, Uvex or Vaude. Merging emotional images from the Ortlieb factory in Heilsbronn, Germany, with those from a bike and hike trip ...
Nalgene Outdoor increases commitment to use recycled materials
Nalgene Outdoor, a U.S. manufacturer of reusable water bottles, announced a significant increase in its commitment to manufacturing with recycled materials. By the end of 2021, Nalgene aims to have all of its reusable water bottle production switched to Tritan Renew material, a resin made from 50 percent recycled material. ...
Robert Jasper becomes brand ambassador for Soto
Japanese stove and camping tableware manufacturer Soto has signed German extreme mountaineer and expeditionist Robert Jasper as brand ambassador. “We are very pleased to welcome Robert, an absolutely authentic athlete, as our brand ambassador,” Akira Yamamoto, CEO and president at Soto/Shinfuji Burner said. “He will help raise the profile of ...
Susie Mulder is Timberland’s new global brand president
VF Corp. has appointed Susie Mulder as global brand president of Timberland. She will start her new role with the New Hampshire-based brand on April 5 and report to VF’s chairman, president and CEO, Steve Rendle. She will also serve on VF’s executive leadership team.
Keen to sell in South Korea via LF
Keen Footwear has signed a distribution contract with LF for the importation and sale of Keen footwear in South Korea, effective in mid-March. Keen footwear will be sold online and offline via LF Mall and LF’s Raum Edition department stores. LF, which stands for Life in Future, is headquartered in ...
Leatherman introduces apparel line
U.S. multi-tool manufacturer Leatherman is entering new territory with its first clothing collection. The hoodies, shirts and accessories are “Made in USA” and, according to the manufacturer, designed to combine outstanding material properties, functionality and attention to detail just like the brand’s multi-tools. The apparel is traditionally 100 percent made ...
Moncler's annual sales down 12% despite good 4th quarter
Moncler returned to growth in the fourth quarter, growing by 8 percent to €675.3 million, led by Asia and the Americas. On a constant-currency basis, they improved by 7 percent. The company benefited from the strong expansion of the Chinese market, growth in Korea and Japan, plus a robust e-commerce ...
Will IAA Mobility become the new bicycle platform?
With its completely revised concept as a comprehensive show for mobility providers, the new IAA Mobility in Munich also aims to offer the bicycle segment an attractive platform. Like IAA in Frankfurt in the past, IAA Mobility under the aegis of Messe München will primarily be a B2C event. To ...
Record quarter for Fox
Fox Factory Holding Corp., which manufactures performance-defining ride dynamics products primarily for bicycles, on-road and off-road vehicles and trucks, achieved record fourth-quarter sales, rising by 41.2 percent to $262.4 million.
Volkswagen enters bicycle leasing and financing business
On February 18, Volkswagen Financial Services, a wholly-owned subsidiary of German automaker Volkswagen (VW), announced an expansion of its broad range of mobility services to include leasing and financing of bicycles and e-bikes. The new business will be generated through VW Volkswagen Financial Services’ investment in Digital Mobility Leasing (26 ...
Garmin’s outdoor and fitness sales surge
Robust demand for advanced wearables and cycling products helped Garmin post record results for the fourth quarter of 2020. The company headquartered in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, with operational headquarters in Olathe, Kansas, which also makes equipment for the aviation and automotive industries, reported that its total sales rose by 23 percent ...
Calida may be looking at strategic options for its outdoor brands
Swiss diversified group Calida said it was looking at “strategic options” for its French Millet and Lafuma outdoor brands following the already-completed sales of the Eider and Oxbow labels. The company said Millet and Lafuma “declined perceptibly” – due to Covid-19 curfews in France – as it reported its 2020 ...
AKU reintegrates German-speaking customer service into Italian team
Italian footwear company AKU is moving all customer service for German-speaking countries to the company’s headquarters in Montebelluna, Italy, effective March 1. All dealer inquiries such as customer care, order and delivery information, product information and order processing will now be handled and decided directly by the headquarters. According to ...
New investors for Garmont
Garmont International, the Vedelago, Italy-based manufacturer of outdoor and tactical footwear, has announced that Italian Strategy Private Equity (ISPE), managed by Riello lnvestimenti Partners, has acquired a 65 percent stake in the company’s share capital. The transaction is expected to be completed by the end of March. Thereafter, Pierangelo Bressan, ...
It’s Great Out There Coalition launches Outdoor Activity Days concept
Introducing the new #itsgreatoutthere Outdoor Activity Days concept, the It’s Great Out There Coalition wants to allow more companies, organizations and individuals to get actively involved in the campaign while receiving clear and measurable results for every contribution to the organization.