Germany Ski Gear & Equipment Market Overview, 2028

Germany Ski Gear & Equipment Market Overview, 2028

Germany has around 500 ski areas to accommodate Europe's largest skier population of over 14 million. Nearly half of these areas, however, only have one lift. The principal resorts of the country are located along the Black Forest's southern border and in the Bavarian Alps, which border Switzerland and Austria. The German Alps, Harz Mountains, Black Forest, Bavarian Forest, and Thuringian Forest are all moderate-altitude mountains that rise up to 1500 meters above sea level. Ski slopes are frequently located at lower elevations than Austrian or Swiss resorts, and ski visit figures have historically shown more susceptibility to snow conditions. To counter the meteorological hazards, resorts have substantially invested in snowmaking technologies. Aside from an excellent season in 2012/13, visitor numbers have followed the same pattern as in the Alps over the last decade. The long-term trend appeared to be dropping in recent years, until stabilizing in 2017/18 and being disrupted by covid-19 in 2019/20, which resulted in a loss of 26.7% in visitation. Most ski resorts stayed closed due to a government lockdown in 2020/21, and business was down by 99%. A few ski areas were able to reopen for a few weeks in March and April 2021 before having to close again. Furthermore, approximately 950 km of ski slopes, 3,000 km of cross-country trails, and nearly 2,000 ski lifts are accessible in Germany for winter sportsmen and women, providing ample options for ski gear and equipment manufacturers to target enthusiasts across the region. The German Ski Association (German: Deutscher Skiverband or DSV) is the country's official skiing regulating organization. Local ski clubs formed the organization in 1905. The German Ski Association supports German skiing's international interests and trains athletes and trainers. The DSV headquarters are in Planegg, a suburb of Munich. Franz Steinle is the current president of the DSV.

According to the research report “Germany Ski Gear & Equipment Market Overview, 2028” published by Bonafide Research, the market is anticipated to witness a value addition of USD 42.78 Million market size by 2028. Increased government initiatives to encourage participation in outdoor activities such as skiing and other snow sports, as well as an increase in the number of ski resorts, are some of the primary factors driving increased sales of ski gear and equipment throughout the region. Globally, the number of women participating in various activities, notably winter sports such as skiing, has increased in recent years. Vendors are introducing women's ski gear and equipment. Though women ski at a lower rate than men, manufacturers are playing a significant part in encouraging women by supplying specialized equipment designed specifically for them, such as slender ankles and size differences. Furthermore, major providers separate their products by categorizing them into tiers such as intermediate, advanced, and professional. Coalition Snow, for example, is a significant vendor that manufactures women's outdoor recreational equipment such as skis and snowboards. As a result, the increasing adoption of ski gear and equipment by women signals a rise in market growth.

Munich, Stuttgart, and locations farther north serve as key catchment areas for German skiers. Germans, on the other hand, are avid skiers who form the greatest international client base for Austrian resorts. However, German skiers' behavior at home is essentially comparable to that of inbound markets, with stagnant demand for skiing combined with the influence of seasonal snow conditions. For example, the level of German winter overnight stays in Austria's major ski resorts has been steady for the past 25 years. Garmisch-Partenkirchen is the indisputable winter sports capital of Germany. Garmisch is a cosmopolitan city known for its traditional New Year's ski jumping competition and for being an Olympic city. Its ski area stretches all the way to the Austrian border and comprises more than 60 kilometers of routes. The Zugspitze is Germany's highest lift, reaching a height of 2830 meters. However, skiing in Germany is not restricted to Garmisch. Ski resorts in the Western Länder include Oberstdorf, Balderschwang, and Oberammergau in the Bavarian Alps, and Reit im Winkl, Oberaudorf, and Berchtesgaden in the East.

The effects of climate change on German ski destinations are not restricted to the Bavarian Alps. The ski regions in the Fichtel Mountains, just northeast of the Alps, are likely to endure declining natural snow conditions by the 2020s, with only one resort expected to remain by 2060. The Black Forest (Schwarzwald), one of Germany's key winter tourism destinations, is also vulnerable to the immediate effects of climate change in the Southwest. According to an early assessment, regional snow cover will last more than 65% less at 500-1000 masl elevations and 25 to 44% less above 1200 masl in the 2021-2050 time frame compared to the 1994-2003 baseline. The region's ski season is expected to be reduced by 40% in the 2021-2050 timeframe compared to the 1971-2000 average, with the major ski resort losing 22% compared to 1961-1990.

Snowmaking has become the most frequent method for ski resort enterprises to react to climate change. According to the data, 121 of the 595 outdoor ski areas and resorts in Germany are currently equipped with snowmaking, representing 977 km of the 1427 km total slopes. The availability of snowmaking has substantial positive relationships with the size and daily lift price of ski areas and resorts, as well as their base elevation. As a result, the bulk of snowmaking facilities in the Bavarian Alps is predominantly touristy ski resorts. According to recent figures, 99,100 500 ha of slopes in this area are covered with artificially created snow, which has undoubtedly proven critical to the sustainability of ski resorts by materially enhancing snow reliability. From February 4 to February 20, 2022, Germany competed in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China. Germany came in second place at these Olympics. The country got 12 gold medals and 27 overall medals. Germany won one silver medal in alpine skiing, one bronze medal in freestyle skiing, and one silver and two bronze medals in ski jumping. Medal winners included Karl Geiger, Victoria Carl, Katharina Hennig, and Daniela Maier.

As per World Bank, Germany has a population of 83.1 million people in 2021, with 41.1 million men and 42 million women. The majority of the population, 53.18 million people, is between the ages of 15 and 65. There are 64.24 million urban residents and 18.86 million rural residents. According to the World Bank, Germany's GDP in 2021 will be USD 4.22 trillion, with an inflation rate of 3.1% and a per capita income of $50,801.8. (2021). Germany has the highest no. of people indulging in skiing activity i.e. 14.6 million skiers in the world.

Supermarkets and hypermarkets dominated the industry in terms of distribution channels due to discounted products and options available. Sport Conrad, Der Berg Ruft Berlin und Boarderline Berlin, Sport Kaufmann Hannover- Der Spezialist für Wintersport, Ski, Outdoor & Wassersport are some of the well-known retailers in Germany. Furthermore, due to increased internet penetration, convenience, and so on, the online segment is predicted to grow at a rapid pace. Sport Conrad, Sport Bittl, Ekosport, XSPO, Snowcountry, and Snowinn are some of the online websites for the Purchase of Ski equipment.

Considered in this report
• Geography: Germany
• Historic year: 2017
• Base year: 2022
• Estimated year: 2023
• Forecast year: 2028

Aspects covered in this report
• Germany ski gear & equipment market with its value and forecast along with its segments
• Various drivers and challenges
• On-going trends and developments
• Top profiled companies
• Strategic recommendation

By Product:
• Skies/Ski Snowboards
• Ski Footwear/Ski Boots and Bindings
• Ski Poles/Ski Sticks
• Ski Helmets
• Ski Goggles
• Ski Gloves/Ski Mittens
• Ski Clothing/Apparel
• Others

By Distribution Channel:
• Hypermarkets/Supermarkets
• Specialty Stores
• Online Stores
• Other Distribution Channels

By End-User:
• Men
• Women
• Kids

The approach of the report:
This report consists of a combined approach of primary as well as secondary research. Initially, secondary research was used to get an understanding of the market and list out the companies that are present in the market. The secondary research consists of third-party sources such as press releases, annual reports of companies, and analyzing government-generated reports and databases. After gathering the data from secondary sources primary research was conducted by making telephonic interviews with the leading players about how the market is functioning and then conducting trade calls with dealers and distributors of the market. Post this we have started doing primary calls to consumers by equally segmenting consumers into regional aspects, tier aspects, age groups, and gender. Once we have primary data with us we started verifying the details obtained from secondary sources.

Intended audience:
This report can be useful to industry consultants, manufacturers, suppliers, associations & organizations related to the ski-gear equipment industry, government bodies, and other stakeholders to align their market-centric strategies. In addition to marketing & presentations, it will also increase competitive knowledge about the industry.