Amer Sports Stays On Top Of Winter Sports

In the last season, the topline growth of Amer Sports’ Winter Sports Equipment was record high. With more than one-fourth share of the market, Amer Sports is the leading player in the winter sports equipment industry.

Amer Sports Winter Sports Equipment consists of three world-class brands: Atomic, Salomon, and Armada. As a whole, the segment has recently strengthened its position as the industry leader.

For Atomic, the last winter season was excellent. “It was a record winter in all areas. We achieved double-digit sales in all product categories and all regions,” says Wolfgang Mayrhofer, General Manager of Atomic.

In 2017/18, Atomic made significant progress in all product categories. “In alpine skiing, we are really strong – we are on the podium in skis, boots, and bindings. In active protection, we have full supply – goggles, helmets and body protection – and we are growing fast. Also, ski touring is a significant growth area for us.”

Momentum for strong margins

The good news is that the profitability of Amer Sports’ Winter Sports Equipment is much less dependent on weather fluctuations than before. The primary driver for the healthy profitability has been gross margin improvement. The success of Amer Sports’ winter sports equipment is built on two factors. First, Amer Sports is strong in every snow sport and all product categories.

“We play in all winter sports categories: alpine skiing, Nordic skiing and ski touring, and we provide the skiers with skis, boots, bindings, protective gear, and apparel. The whole thing comes nicely together,” Mayrhofer says.

The second important cornerstone is operational excellence. “We are implementing new technologies and processes such as 3D scanning, thermography, and robotics to generate efficiencies in the ski production process. The Group is also accelerating the level of automation for the ski production lines as this technology has become more affordable, boosting returns on investments and payback times.”

Finally, Amer Sports has also been working on cost efficiency, achieving higher flexibility in low and high seasons. Based on presales, Mayrhofer estimates that also the season 2018/19 will be good for the business and brands. “We develop our core offering and accelerate our efforts in newer categories like protective equipment and backcountry touring. We will grow in all areas.”

Strong growth gives Winter Sports Equipment further market share. Mayrhofer is confident that the segment will reach its goal.“We are outperforming the market. We are aiming to the podium in everything we do.”