Far from fashion, but close to the trend. This is the strategy outlined by Matthieu Schegg, Head of Europe, the Middle East and Africa (Emea) for Columbia Sportswear, who predicts that, after strong growth during the pandemic, the sportswear industry will move beyond fragmentation and point to some clear winners and losers. “Some brands will become stronger, they will consolidate, but others will disappear”, sums up the executive. Graduated from Middlesex University in Business Administration, Schegg is also a graduate in Marketing from Neoma Business School.
Question: After the pandemic, is the time over? boom of sport?
Answer: We have benefited from the situation during and after the pandemic with individual sports and those of outdoor. During the lockdown, people couldn’t exercise in gyms or do activities like judo or soccer. All they could do was go jogging, cycling and doing yoga; that has brought many consumers to discover the world of outdoor. However, the consumer has realized that with their day-to-day clothes they cannot do it and that has made people want to be more prepared for their activities with technical products. We have a lot of young consumers who enjoy the outdoor and, after the pandemic, he has continued to enjoy outdoor sports close to home. This trend will continue, especially among young people. Another of the trends that will continue is that people who live in cities sometimes want to escape the chaos and do outdoor activities. He outdoor It is no longer just going to the top of the mountain, now it also means enjoying the outdoors on a daily basis, in the city.
Q.: Do we always have to approach young people?
R.: We focus mostly on generation Y, rather than generation Z, who are still very young. In the past we have been a very traditional brand, but now we are focusing on products for a younger audience. The marks of outdoor They were focused on traditional distribution, but now they are also exploring digital and ecommerce terrain. This has opened the range to new consumers. We have positioned ourselves as a fresh and fashionable brand for the new generations, but Columbia is not fashion, we do not want to be fashion, nor can we, we are lifestyle.
Q.: How does the brand renew itself by fleeing from fashion?
R.: Our position is clear, the worst thing you can do is pretend to be something you are not. We believe in loyalty like Volkswagen does. We don’t want to be a Ferrari, but we don’t want to be a Dacia either.
“The ‘outdoor’ is a very fragmented sector, this year, some brands will become stronger, but others will disappear”
P.: The North Face con Gucci, Jil Sander con Arc’teryx… He outdoor can only ally with luxury to be relevant?
R.: Many fashion collaborations have been seen outdoor with luxury, yes, but what about none with them with Columbia? We don’t see each other in that area. We don’t want to be fashion, although obviously we are interested in creating stylish products. Each brand must find its own solution, as we have done with the intermediate quality-price point. We cannot compete with luxury, for example, Canada Goose or Moncler, who sell jackets for thousands of euros and we sell a maximum of three hundred euros. But we also don’t want to compete with Uniqlo, nor can we.
Q.: How do you see the future of the sportswear sector?
R.: I see it in a positive way. Younger generations are aware of sustainability and that’s good for us as we make products for people to do outdoor activities. He outdoor It is a highly fragmented sector, with a large number of brands, and in the future some of them will consolidate, which will end up being much stronger, and others will disappear, as has already happened in other sectors. In it outdoorthis trend has yet to arrive, because it is not efficient that there are so many brands.
Q.: Does competing in a sector of giants mean specializing?
R.: Both strategies must converge. Columbia is among the general brands, selling skiwear, for example, but it’s obviously not as specialized clothing as a technical firm aimed solely at skiing. It’s a brand for everyone, so we can’t focus on everything in an extremely technical way.