Macpac sold to Super Retail Group

[rcaffin]

kathmandu is the eight biggest outdoor sports brand in the world.
Hardly - according to half a dozen business web sites. Large in Au/NZ, yes.
Unless you have a reference and the figures?

Cheers
Roger

[wayno]

kathmandu is the eight biggest outdoor sports brand in the world.
Hardly - according to half a dozen business web sites. Large in Au/NZ, yes.
Unless you have a reference and the figures?

Cheers
Roger

https://www.outsideonline.com/2283191/b ... ever-heard

Although the New Zealand–based outdoor gear and apparel maker is the eighth-largest gear manufacturer in the world, with 162 stores worldwide

[Zapruda]

Sponsor content - Presented by Kathmandu.

Horrible article...

[wayno]

yeah thinking about it, i dont know how they came up with eighth... certainly dont sell anywhere near the amount of product as the big players. i missed the "sponsor content",

[wayno]

Kathmandu Buys Oboz For US Market Access

http://www.thegearcaster.com/2018/03/ka ... ccess.html

esterday, New Zealand retailer and outdoor equipment maker Kathmandu announced their acquisition of Montana-based Oboz Footwear for up to $75 million ($60 million upfront with a $15 million earn-out). A long time supplier to Kathmandu, Oboz’s vast network of retailers in the US and Europe provides the company with a ready-built sell-through strategy for entry into new markets.

Up until now, Kathmandu has been very reliant on the Australasia market, with a failed attempt at a brick-and-mortar strategy in the UK a few years ago. Much like REI, the retailer has a collection of own brand products — mostly apparel in Kathmandu’s case, a large percentage of which is for fall and winter.

Footwear is one of the fastest growing and least seasonal sections of the outdoor market so the acquisition diversifies Kathmandu’s product offering. It also gives them immediate access to all of Oboz’s current US and European retailers to sell through Kathmandu product, promising to do the same in return for Oboz back at home.

“We’ve been looking at the US market for some time, and when you look at the customers and retailers Oboz have in the US, it’s a dream distribution for us,” said Kathmandu chief executive Xavier Simonet. “If we could work with the Oboz customers in the US and launch Kathmandu with them, that would be brilliant because they’re core authentic outdoor retailers and we can tap into that knowledge for sure.”

Even though Oboz doesn’t operate any stores themselves in the US, Simonet has not ruled out opening combined stores selling the two brands. In the meantime, expect to see more Kathmandu products hitting the shelves at your local outdoor store relatively soon.

[Gadgetgeek]

The US market will eat their lunch. They are not an REI, and own-brand stores that are not co-ops have not made headway in north america.

[wayno]

macpac went into the states and didnt last long,
brand recognition may be an issue

[rcaffin]

Kathmandu market cap is about AU$436M. To be sure, this is bigger than I had expected.
But they are still minnows in the world.

You should also note that some brands are not listed here as they are privately held. For instance, New Balance is about #111 on the Forbes list of privately held companies in America, with an annual revenue of ~US$3.8 billion. That annual revenue is 87 times Kathmandu's market cap. And at the moment I believe Kathmandu is the subject of a take-over bid, with their marketing described as awful. Oh well.

Cheers
Roger

[wayno]

VF owns a number of outdoor sporting brands r... $11.8 billion turnover
Eagle Creek®
The North Face®
Smartwool®
Timberland®
icebreaker

https://ir.vfc.com/press-releases/detai ... r-and-full

The north face turn over $2.9 billion,
Patagonia $800 million

https://www.theguardian.com/business/20 ... -at-a-time

[CraigVIC]

Spotlight group holdings, ie. Anaconda, has acquired Mountain designs.

Last edited by CraigVIC on Tue 27 Mar, 2018 7:29 am, edited 1 time in total.

[Peaksnik]

Is it known whether they will sell through Anaconda with MD an in-house brand and/or re-open some stores as standalone MD?

[CraigVIC]

No info yet, but from the loyalty club email, "We’ll be back in touch soon about what the next evolution of the brand looks like, as well as how and where you will be able to purchase the product."

[Moondog55]

I would say that now is the time to start an email campaign if we want Macpac/Rays to improve some aspects of the gear or bring in new gear that more perfectly matches our expectations.
In my case I suggested a stretched Olympus with 4 poles and dual symmetrical vestibules but there is also a case for a stretched version with an extended vestibule at one end

[RonK]

Agreed Wayno.

But on the flip side of all this is that small cottage companies like MLD, Nunatak, Locus Gear, Tier gear etc are thriving right now.

People do like custom made gear, me included so maybe there is a market for what Moondog is talking about. Interesting times for gear.

But we also see that despite their heroic efforts, these cottage companies cannot cope with the physical demands on their operators, and eventually are forced into mass production, and can no longer be able offer the same level of customisation and service.

I've been watching this happen in the bikepacking scene. A few years ago a number of cottage companies like Revelate, Porcelain Rocket and others started making custom fitted frame bags for whatever bicycle you own, often working out of a garage or backyard shed. But demand quickly outgrew they capacity to produce, waiting lists for order grew longer and longer, and the operators were becoming exhausted by the constant pressure to produce, to the point where for long periods they had to close their order books to new orders.

There still are some producing custom gear, but more and more no longer take orders for custom gear and sell only mass-produced standardised gear.

No doubt eventually they will be absorbed by the big conglomerates.

[rcaffin]

That may apply to the bike market - I would not know.
But I note that many of the best-known UL cottage companies in the States are managing to stay as they were. They tend to be privately owned and are providing an adequate income for the owner - so why hassle? Why change? In addition, they often rely on a local community of workers - a real local community. Why change?
You do get flash in the pan newcomers like JetBoil who sell out fast - OK. But not everyone thinks their stoves are worth it.

Cheers
Roger

[Strider]

I would say that now is the time to start an email campaign if we want Macpac/Rays to improve some aspects of the gear or bring in new gear that more perfectly matches our expectations.
In my case I suggested a stretched Olympus with 4 poles and dual symmetrical vestibules but there is also a case for a stretched version with an extended vestibule at one end

Or you could just buy a Hilleberg/Helsport and be done with it - it’s as close as you’re ever going to get from a major manufacturer.

There is no perfect shelter - it’s always going to be a balance between technical features, market potential, cost of production, etc. While there is always a case for something more suitable for a particular purpose, you’re likely just one of a very small number of people with such a specific need, and no manufacturer of any product targeted to the masses is going to make minute and/or complex changes to satisfy what is a very very small proportion of their overall market.

This niche is exactly why cottage manufacturers exist and continue to hold their own within a highly specialised space.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Moondog55]

I'm actually leaning towards Lightwave but I take your point; although I do think that catering for the smaller market is going to be a better course for a smaller manufacturer/retailer; you can buy general use stuff everywhere from anybody

[RonK]

That may apply to the bike market - I would not know.
But I note that many of the best-known UL cottage companies in the States are managing to stay as they were. They tend to be privately owned and are providing an adequate income for the owner - so why hassle? Why change? In addition, they often rely on a local community of workers - a real local community. Why change?

Yes, that is how the bike bag makers started. Many also made gear for hikers. They change because they cannot cope with the demand. There are only 24 hours in a day - a sole operator can only produce so much. Eventually quality, service, delivery all begin to suffer.

[Moondog55]

Recent emails exchanged with Nunatak lead me to believe that business has reached capacity plus, they are starting to farm out sewing to pieceworkers

[gbagua]

Spotlight group holdings, ie. Anaconda, has acquired Mountain designs.

Are they going to reopen the MD shops then? It wold be nice since I liked a lot their clothing. Heaps better than Kathmandu products.

[Neo]

I think for many, online shopping is the future. Especially for those in regional areas wanting something more than Big-mart...

My success rate is 9.5 when ordering online, and if not then returns/exchanges are quite straight forward.

[Moondog55]

I think for many, online shopping is the future. Especially for those in regional areas wanting something more than Big-mart...

My success rate is 9.5 when ordering online, and if not then returns/exchanges are quite straight forward.

Mine is closer to 1.5 / 10
Returning things to the UK or the USA simply makes on-line shopping expensive at best and super expensive at worst but I guess it beats paying the Australia Tax when things work out well

[oldpiscator]

I think for many, online shopping is the future. Especially for those in regional areas wanting something more than Big-mart...

My success rate is 9.5 when ordering online, and if not then returns/exchanges are quite straight forward.

And this is the reason so many bricks and mortar stores are closing. I wouldn't want to be in small business nowadays

[Neo]

I'd blame the conglomerates with their chain stores for wearing down the small retailers..?

more than the internet

On the flip side, online sales and card transactions are readily available to the market stall holder and cottage crew

[Nuts]

Maybe 'Super Retail Group' should take a lead from REI for the sake our collective bottom line:
https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/rei-r ... its-brands