Outdoor Retailers Fighting for Market Share

Outdoor retailers Kathmandu and Decathlon are vying for a piece of Australia’s ski and snowboard market this winter.

Both businesses are launching inaugural snow collections, despite the fact that less than a million Australians regularly or occasionally ski or snowboard, according to 2018 data from Roy Morgan.

On Thursday, Kathmandu launched its inaugural snow collection called Styper, which includes ski jackets and pants for adults and kids, as well as goggles and snow luggage.

“Designed to suit beginner and intermediate levels, as well as the more sophisticated skiers, the pieces connect seamlessly together to keep warmth in and snow out, and are made with sustainable, state of the art ngx2 fabric technology that is waterproof, wind-proof and breathable,” the retailer said in a statement.

The launch comes on the heels of Decathlon’s announcement that it is introducing more than 100 ski and snowboard-specific product lines from its Wed’ze brand available in Australia this year.

The European discount retailer described its offer as an affordable option for people who want a trusted brand and good advice. The range will include adult ski jackets and pants for under $100, adult ski gloves for less than $40, kids’ ski gloves for less than $20, neck warmers and beanies for $10 and ski and binding packages for under $500.

The price point is considerably lower than Kathmandu, which starts at $199.98 for kids and $349.98 for adults.

Kathmandu’s collection is available in-store in Australia and New Zealand, while Decathlon’s collection is available in-store and online in Australia.

Fashion brand SuperDry has been selling its snow range in Australia and New Zealand for the past three years.