All Outdoor Industry Compass articles in Volume 8, Issue 3-4

View all stories from this issue.

  • Article

    Lafuma reorganizes its outdoor sales structure

    16 February 2015

    The Lafuma Group has announced a reinforced international wholesale organization for the three outdoor brands that belong to its so-called Mountain Group - Millet, Lafuma and Eider - with five area managers reporting to a single head of wholesale, Thibaut Cornet, who previously acted as deputy general manager of Eider.Three ...

  • Article

    Gore introduces a new, versatile technology

    16 February 2015

    About 30 brands have adopted the new Gore-Tex C-Knit backer fabric technology in some of the jackets and trousers that they are proposing for the next autumn/winter season, creating a new category in their collections. Developed by W.L. Gore & Associates, it is designed for broader usage than the more ...

  • News briefs

    Magnum will be the official supplier of indoor training footwear...

    16 February 2015

    Magnum will be the official supplier of indoor training footwear to the British troops over the next four years. In 2013, its parent company, Hi-Tec Sports UK, secured a contract with the British Ministry of Defence, which led the Magnum U.S.T. outdoor trainer to be given a NATO (North Atlantic ...

  • Article

    A slightly resilient outdoor market in Europe

    16 February 2015

    A preliminary study by European Outdoor Group (EOG) indicates that the European outdoor market expanded by 2 to 3 percent last year, despite often tough trading conditions. The EOG told journalists at the Ispo Munich trade show that this continued growth underlined the resilience of the outdoor market, but it ...

  • News briefs

    Raidlight, the French specialist in trail running equipment, is the...

    16 February 2015

    Raidlight, the French specialist in trail running equipment, is the new official partner for the next three editions of the Grand Raid de la Réunion, an international trail running event, starting from this year. The Grand Raid comprises three races including “La Diagonale des Fous,” an event of about 165 ...

  • Article

    New EOG focus on sports participation

    16 February 2015

    A handful of members of the European Outdoor Group's board of directors have formed a working group of suppliers and retailers on physical activity – one of five areas that were identified or confirmed as priorities for action at its general assembly in the framework of the recent Ispo Munich ...

  • Article

    New top manager for Didriksons

    16 February 2015

    Johan Ekeroth became the new chief executive of Didriksons on Jan. 5, taking the place of Sören Andreasson, who remains as a significant shareholder in the company and as a member of the board of directors. Ekeroth, 45, was most recently Asics' sales director for the Nordic countries and Benelux. ...

  • Short stops

    Supported by the Ispo team, The North Face has developed...

    16 February 2015

    Supported by the Ispo team, The North Face has developed a new concept for a jacket with ideal heat insulation in only 12 weeks by using Ispo's Open Innovation platform

  • Article

    Knut Jaeger: The unexpected death of a visionary man

    16 February 2015

    Knut Jaeger, co-founder of the OutDoor show in Friedrichshafen and co-founder of the Asia Outdoor fair in Nanjing, died on Jan. 30 in Hong Kong at the age of 72. The Chinese and European industry was shocked as many of his business partners, including two of our collaborators, had just ...

  • Article

    Vaude sets new criteria for its retail partners

    16 February 2015

    Vaude has issued new guidelines for the distribution of its products all over the world. They come into effect on Feb. 15. The new directives are meant to strengthen the brand within brick-and-mortar and online retail, safeguarding the quality of the brand's presentation in any distribution channel, particularly on the ...

  • Article

    Youngone gets control of Scott and Outdoor Research

    16 February 2015

    Youngone Corp., the big Korean-based manufacturer of outdoor apparel, shoes and backpacks, made one more step into the branded business a few days ago by raising its stake in the Swiss-based Scott Sports Group to 50.01 percent. The move boosted its share price. Last year, it had silently acquired a ...

  • News briefs

    Millet will inaugurate a new store concept in the French...

    16 February 2015

    Millet will inaugurate a new store concept in the French resort of Chamonix on Feb. 27. It will be deployed in the course of this year at shop-in-shops all over Europe, notably at Alpisport in Namur, Belgium; at El Corte Inglés in Barcelona; at Alpi Trail in Puidoux, Switzerland; and ...

  • News briefs

    Osprey Packs is planning to complete an expansion of its...

    16 February 2015

    Osprey Packs is planning to complete an expansion of its Cortez, Colorado headquarters in the second half of the year to house a growing staff. Fourteen new positions will be added to its Cortez facilities in the course of 2015, including staff for the IT department and the sales, marketing, ...

  • Article

    Columbia invests in European races

    16 February 2015

    Columbia Sportswear is gearing up for the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB), with which it has formed a partnership starting this year. Launched in 2003, the UTMB was sponsored for 12 years by The North Face, which gave its name to the event. This year no brand name will be attached ...

  • News briefs

    Montura plans to launch its first footwear collection at the...

    16 February 2015

    Montura plans to launch its first footwear collection at the OutDoor show in Friedrichshafen in July, starting with light hiking shoes for spring/summer 2016. The line is being developed under the management of Riccardo Milani, who recently left Scarpa after many years.

  • Article

    Sales climb at Peak Performance

    16 February 2015

    Peak Performance saw its sales advance by 5.6 percent in constant currencies for the six months to the end of December, despite several store closures. The Swedish ski, outdoor and golf brand's turnover reached the equivalent of 585.9 million Danish kroner (€78.7m-$89.1m) for the half year, up by 3.6 percent.The performance ...

  • Article

    Slowdown and uncertainties in China's market growth

    16 February 2015

    The growth of the Chinese outdoor market declined markedly last year and there are signs that a clean-up has started among brands as well as retailers. However, the outdoor market was still on the rise and prospects are buoyed by growing participation trends.The China Outdoor Commerce Alliance (Coca) estimates that ...

  • Article

    New chief executive at Helly Hansen

    16 February 2015

    Paul Stoneham, a seasoned executive in the consumer goods industry, is to take over next week as chief executive of Helly Hansen. Peter Sjølander, who led the Norwegian outdoor brand's rapid rise in the last eight years, will continue in an advisory role for the next six months, before starting ...

  • News briefs

    Robert Suter has resigned as chief executive of Conzzeta, the...

    16 February 2015

    Robert Suter has resigned as chief executive of Conzzeta, the Swiss holding company that controls the Mammut Sports Group, by mutual consent with the board of directors. He had held the post for six years. The group's chairman, Ernst Bärtschi, will run the executive board on an interim basis, pending ...

  • News briefs

    Mark S. Hoplamazian, a director and former president and CEO...

    16 February 2015

    Mark S. Hoplamazian, a director and former president and CEO of Hyatt Hotels Corp., has joined the board of directors of VF Corp., which has been expanded to 13 members. Two director, Ursula O. Fairbarn and George Fellows, will not stand for re-election because of a minimum retirement age of ...