MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
Salomon / Amer Sports Winter & Outdoor
Erik Anderson, Vice President, Winter Sports Equipment
Q1
How are things at Salomon? How would you characterize the past few ski seasons from a business perspective?
A: The past few seasons have been quite turbulent to say the least. 2022-23 and 2023-24 saw unfavorable weather conditions in most markets and macro-economic headwinds that negatively depressed all markets, even those fortunate enough to enjoy the historical bounty of snow seen in the Sierras and Wasatch in 22-23. We’d all been hoping for some clarity and normalcy as we emerged from the COVID-fueled demand so we could rebuild our crystal balls, but Mother Nature had other plans. As a result, the industry overall swung from a very tight and clean inventory pipeline with scarcity being the norm in 20-21 and 21-22 to an over-supplied, surplus situation in the following years that retail is still working through in 24-25.
Despite all these headwinds, at Salomon we feel like we’ve weathered the volatility fairly well. We’ve continued to invest in product development and kept our foot on the gas of the product engine across all wintersports equipment categories. When aggregated across alpine, Nordic, snowboard and protectives, I don’t believe there is another wintersports brand in the market who comes close to the level of investment and product evolution that we’ve delivered to our dealers and the consumer in the post-COVID era.
Q2
What trends and changes does Salomon see for 2025-26? How do you stay updated with trends and changes? What do you have planned to address these trends?
A: Our North American team, based in Ogden, Utah, works very closely with our development teams from HQ in France and our global PLMs (product line managers). Engineers for all categories from HQ spend quite a bit of time in our market, visiting dealers and local on-mountain professionals, attending industry events, soliciting feedback, testing new products and prototypes and keeping our fingers on the pulse.
As far as trends go, specifically product, BOA will continue to drive development and newness in alpine boots. In 23-24 we introduced our first franchise with the new alpine BOA technology, the S/Pro Supra. For 25-26 we’ve brought four franchises to market that feature BOA or dual BOA technology. We now address medium and wide lasts in the fixed-cuff S/Pro family with the Supra and Delta ranges and have single and dual BOA options in our medium last Supra models. In the hybrid family; boots featuring tech-inserts and hike/ride modes, the new Shift Supra BOA medium last joins the Shift Alpha BOA narrow last that we launched in 24-25.
One trend that is emerging when it comes to BOA is how various brands are incorporating BOA into their boots. Some brands seem to view BOA simply as a new closure mechanism and something they feel obligated, sometimes begrudgingly, to adopt. At Salomon, we feel strongly that the benefit of BOA is maximized when it is incorporated as part of an ecosystem. When shells and cuffs are designed specifically for use with the BOA closure system, the sum is greater than the whole of the parts. It costs more for development as we aren’t sharing lower shells or cuffs between BOA and buckle models, but we feel strongly the end result is a boot that fits better and skis better.
On the snowboard side we’ve leaned heavily into the all-mountain freeride board space with our new Horizon series of boards. All three boards are united by their prowess in powder thanks to all of our learnings with the Hillside Project, those profiles were adapted to all-mountain, in resort riding, from there, each of the three boards has a unique personality when it comes to the type of terrain and turn shape they’re designed to slay. From tight trees and shorter turns in the East and Midwest, to mini-golf cliff lines and open trees at resorts like Brighton and Steamboat, to big mountain lines in Jackson Hole or Alaska, there’s a Horizon model that’ll be the ultimate all-day, everyday board for your playground. Boots get updated with full revisions on some of our most popular models and style lifts on the entire line that bring more color and modern style to the boot wall by tapping into Salomon’s connection to fashion and urban culture through our very popular Sportstyle footwear collection.
Q3
What do we need to do as an industry to promote skiing and snowboarding? What immediate action can we take to bring new participants to these sports?
A: We need to reach new consumers, younger consumers and expand our base of participants to replace aging skiers and riders who are leaving the sport. Recently, the industry has discussed some great ideas and initiatives. One of the best initiatives I heard came from Jon Holmes from Bill and Paul’s Sporthaus in Michigan, which is doing a partnership with a local resort. They’re bringing never-evers into the store, breaking down the cost barriers, the knowledge gap, and demystifying the process, then bringing them to the resort, holding their hands through the process, making it fun, attainable and not intimidating. There are so many insider tricks and secret handshakes in our industry that it can be incredibly intimidating for many people. These local retailer/ski area initiatives are one of the best things that can be done to introduce the love of sliding on snow to new consumers – and turn them into lifelong consumers. I’d love to see more of this … and, as a brand partner, I’d be interested in discussing how we can help our retailers expand these local, grassroots programs.
Q4
You mention local retailer initiatives, grassroots programs and decoding the “secret handshakes.” Can you expand on that? What would you like a shop to tell a first-time, never-ever customer?
A: Great question, by “secret handshakes” I mean all those things that experienced skiers and riders and/or industry professionals tend to take for granted. Things like how to carry your skis and not look completely clueless, how to wear your helmet and goggles to avoid the dreaded gaper gap, how to open a ski boot and get your foot into it as easily as possible, what types of socks to wear, baselayers, which basic accessories will ensure a warm and comfortable day on the slopes, how to best navigate the parking, lodge, and lift systems at the resort they’re headed to for their first day, how to find the best deals on lift tickets, what time of day to arrive, depart, etc. All the things that are second nature for us, but completely foreign to a newcomer to our sport. If all of us who make our living in this industry make it a point to be welcoming and accommodating to first timers, the better our retention rates will be and the more vibrant and successful an industry we’ll have in the future.
Q5
How do you measure the success of a relationship with a retail partner? What should a retail partner expect from Salomon?
A: Putting aside the most obvious measure; dollars, we also look at brand alignment and presence in-store. These take multiple forms and can be both quantitative and qualitative. In terms of alignment, we look at how well our initiatives are supported by our retail partners – is the dealer just cherry-picking a few models and not supporting us in multiple categories, or are they telling a compelling brand story? Are they stocking a range of products from us that are well-aligned with the range of their consumer profiles? Or are we being pigeon-holed at one end of the price/performance spectrum or another? Is an alpine dealer carrying skis, boots and bindings, what we call a “full-line dealer” or are they only carrying boots? If they are an alpine and snowboard dealer, do they also carry our snowboard collection … if not, they’re missing out on some significant momentum with a brand that is as authentic a snowboard brand as we are an alpine or Nordic brand.
What should a retailer expect from us? I would hope your members will find in Salomon a partner who is constantly innovating, driving our sports forward and inspiring consumers, as well as a responsible partner who values them, respects their business, takes steps to support their margins and values their profitability and partnership as much as we value our brand image and integrity. Specifically speaking to NSSRA members and specialty snowsports retail overall, I’d like to reassure your members that when it comes to winter sports, you are our most important channel and our No. 1 priority.
The Amer Sports annual report referenced in a recent newsletter article is very high-level and while it is true that D2C is driving growth globally and the company has aggressive plans for brands store growth, this is primarily a softgoods strategy and specifically for Salomon, a footwear strategy. If you dig into the article and the report, it's clear that much of branded store growth is in China, where brand stores are the norm for the outdoor industry. Globally, as well as here in the US, our wintersports strategy is to “win at specialty.” We feel very strongly that the consumer journeys for footwear and wintersports are very different, even when they’re the same consumer. Wintersports equipment consumers enjoy the best outcomes when they shop at specialty and with retailers who are committed to and well-versed in our sports.
Q6
As an industry supplier, what do you value about NSSRA?
A: NSSRA and their partners at NSGA are critical for their support of and advocacy for specialty retail. Information sharing is key to keeping retailers aware of how current and proposed legislation will impact their business now and tomorrow, and it’s specific to their businesses, rather than having to sift through mounds of information, your members receive updates that are timely and relevant. The lobbying efforts of NSGA provide a key voice in DC promoting the value and importance of specialty retail, the economic engine it provides and the promotion of healthier lifestyles.
When the industry comes together, we have a louder voice and a broader reach. At the risk of being corny, the old TEAM acronym really rings true; Together Everyone Achieves More. By leveraging the combined voices of specialty retail and your vendor partners and the ski areas, we’ll be much more efficient and successful in engaging, onboarding and retaining the new consumers who are critical to our mutual success in the snowsports business today and in the future.
