<p>The strategy of sporting goods</p><p>Contents<br/>I. Introduction ................................................................................................. 3<br/>II. Overview of the outdoor sector .................................................................... 4<br/>III. Key Players................................................................................................... 5<br/>1. ADIDAS.............................................................................................................6<br/>2. AIGLE................................................................................................................7<br/>3. AMER SPORT......................................................................................................8<br/>4. BILLABONG......................................................................................................10<br/>5. CALLAWAY.......................................................................................................11<br/>6. COLUMBIA .......................................................................................................12<br/>7. K2 SPORT ........................................................................................................14<br/>8. LAFUMA-OXBOW...............................................................................................15<br/>9. NIKE ...............................................................................................................17<br/>10. OAKLEY ...........................................................................................................19<br/>11. Quiksilver-Rossignol ..........................................................................................20<br/>12. TIMBERLAND....................................................................................................22<br/>13. VF CORPORATION (VF Sport)..............................................................................23<br/>IV. Retailers ..................................................................................................... 25<br/>A. Specialist retailers .......................................................................................... 25<br/>1. Stores that belong to an affiliated network or integrated specialists ..........................25<br/>2. Stores belonging to a network of independent store-owners / franchisees affiliated<br/>specialists .................................................................................................................26<br/>3. Independent stores and independent specialists (stores in winter sports resorts etc.)..26<br/>4. Hunting, fishing and cycling shops .......................................................................26<br/>B. Mainstream retailers....................................................................................... 26<br/>1. hyper and supermarkets: ...................................................................................26<br/>2. Mail order : ......................................................................................................26<br/>3. Fashion retailers, shoe shops and department stores :...........................................27<br/>V. Customers .................................................................................................. 27<br/>VI. Suppliers .................................................................................................... 28<br/>VII. Conclusion............................................................................................. 29<br/>© CCMP 2008 – The strategy of sports equipment manufacturers... – F. BRULHART et T. WHITE<br/>Université Aix-Marseille II – Euromed Marseille Ecole de Management<br/>3<br/>In the Outdoor Goods Market<br/>I. Introduction<br/>In 2005, the world market for outdoor goods1 was worth $40 billion or over 30% of the total<br/>market for sporting goods. It was growing steadily at an annual rate of almost 7 % between 2002<br/>and 2005, compared to growth of 2 % for the sporting goods market in general.<br/>This growth can be explained in several ways: shorter working weeks, increased life expectancy, a<br/>desire to get close to nature and the increasing image of importance of people’s self-image are all<br/>socio-cultural trends that have led to increases in the popularity of open air and outdoor activities<br/>such as hiking, mountain biking, trekking, rafting, canyoning, rock climbing, paragliding, surfing,<br/>skateboarding, rollerblading, golf and snowboarding. These sports vehicle positive values that<br/>reveal changes in society: a return to ones roots, proximity with nature, a quest for authenticity, a<br/>desire to get away from it all and to surpass oneself. The enthusiasm for urban sports such as<br/>skateboarding and their winter and water equivalents, snowboarding or surfing has also driven the<br/>growth of the outdoor goods market. Other factors that are driving this growth include the<br/>organisation of major competitions such as the Turin winter Olympics or favourable changes in the<br/>climate (heavy snow falls in France in the 2005-2006 season). Outdoor goods are also frequently<br/>bought as casual wear. The growth of the sector is to a large extent by the textile market which<br/>increases its sales potential.<br/>France is a major market since 80% of the people do at least one sport (78% for their health and<br/>77% to enjoy nature). Furthermore, the seniors market is one of the fastest growing segments in<br/>the sporting goods market and has increased seven-fold since 1990. The female market is also<br/>growing with 55% of women doing at least one sport.</p><p></p><p> <br/></p>