Winter sports Traditional style rose past skating with skis – People now want ease and speed with their tools

Long frost periods, good snow winter and Korona time have significantly increased the demand for skis and ski accessories. This is what SOK’s sales manager says Matti Viitanen, although the first two factors have a much greater impact on the demand for goods.

Last winter, sales of winter sports equipment increased up to tenfold compared to the previous winter. The sticks and skates had already been sold from many places to completion in January.

Read more: There is a lot of hustle and bustle in the ski business – poles and skates have already been sold out in many places

According to Viitanen, sales volumes for the current season are very high, even compared to the previous korona season.

“Sales have been at an excellent level and the level of sales has been about double compared to the corresponding figures last year,” says Viitanen.

“When it comes to skiing, sales are always affected by conditions. The store will immediately go where there is snow and frost. ”

Corona time However, according to Viitanen, it has increased people ‘s desire to exercise outdoors and individually.

“We’ve taken the emergency into account, and our bookings for ski equipment suppliers are record high.”

Director of Kesko’s leisure trade Sami Kiisken according to cross-country skiing, there has been a noticeable boom that started as early as 2020. One big reason was the Korona era, which moved people out to practice. Sales have also increased during the current period.

“Now that the season started exceptionally early in southern Finland and there were winter conditions in the whole of Finland, the trade immediately started at a hard level. Even in November-December, the trade in cross-country skiing has gone well. Compared to the beginning of last year, we are at a high level in terms of sales. ”

Of the year According to Viitanen, the first two weeks of 2021 saw really big figures even in terms of total sales for the year. At that time, sales figures were almost as high as during the entire previous sales season, he said.

“At that time, the pandemic situation was difficult, there were good ski trails all over Finland and people really moved around a lot. This was directly reflected in demand. ”

“Last winter season was so exceptionally hard from the beginning of the season that certain goods were already running out of the end of the season. The good sales this fall are due to the fact that last season the goods were partially out of stock. ”

Global According to Viitanen, delivery difficulties in terms of raw materials and logistics have also been reflected in the availability of skis and ski accessories.

“There have been delivery delays at the manufacturing head and materials, and global container traffic is also causing its own delays. It’s happening in many places.”

However, goods are constantly arriving on store shelves, although there may be a temporary shortage of some individual products, according to Viitanen. The first weeks of the current year are likely to bring a peak in demand, he said.

Also According to Kiiske, there have been supply difficulties for Kesko mainly in some specific brands or models, which is partly due to the difficulty of the global supply chain and partly due to demand.

“Of course, we have also responded well, as this is based on pre-trade. The goods must be ordered one year before the season. We have made good preconceptions, so we have good stuff and it is coming all the time. ”

According to Viitanen, one product that has been carried from the shelves to homes exceptionally fast is sliding shoes. According to him, the demand for the product rose very high already last season.

“They were sold in very large quantities even before the snow came. Now practically everything you get is sold very quickly. ”

People According to Kiiske, in addition to skis and accessories, they also buy technical ski clothes. In the case of skis, the traditional style has overtaken the free, as the equipment has really evolved a lot in the case of the traditional.

“For example, there are fur soles that work little in every weather, so you don’t have to play with holding creams. They have become so easy to use and you can feel good from the very beginning, as long as you have chosen the right skis with the professional. ”

Also According to Viitanen, lightness and ease of use are emphasized in skis and ski accessories. In addition, children’s ski packages have sold well.

“Perhaps the trend in skis is that fur soles and grip soles, or easy-to-use, lubrication-free products, are rising more and more all the time. Ease is sought after. ”

“We also see this in the cream trade. Sales of liquid creams are growing all the time. They are easy and quick to put on the bottom of the ski and do not require special equipment. ”

“With a melting iron, for example, it is not necessary to start melting the cream on the bottom, but the cream can be easily applied to it and then corked and brushed. After that, the ski is ready for use. ”