Rock Fight's industry insider and consigliere, Eoin Comerford, is sending out regular dispatches from his time at ISPO. We've compiled all of his updates below for easy reading.
Follow along here and be sure to also follow Eoin on LinkedIn.
ISPO Update #7: Pickle vs Pádel
The real controversy of ISPO Munich 2024 was the battle between Euro incumbent pádel tennis and U.S. interloper pickleball.
By my count, pickleball was ahead two courts to one, but the pádel court is almost twice the size and the carbon fiber hollow rackets are way cooler, so let’s call it a tie.
In terms of the U.S. market, the extra size and expense of the glass-walled pádel courts likely means it won't slow pickleball's explosive growth, but it will still have a place for those seeking a hipper, younger Euro alternative.
Originally Posted December 6, 2024
ISPO Update #6: Globetrotter Ausrüstung Munich Store Visit.
Having visited Sporthaus Schuster GmbH it’s really interesting to then take in Munich’s other mega outdoor store for a totally different experience.
Where Schuster is all about the apparel, Globetrotter is all about the equipment featuring a huge array of tents, sleeping bags, packs, hiking books and so much more on the main floor vs. the “camping corner” in Schuster’s basement (in fairness, it is winter).
Where Schuster is all about targeted lighting, Globetrotter vividly lights every square meter.
Where Schuster romances their core apparel offerings, Globetrotter presents matter-of-factly… “You want a jacket? Here are the jackets.”
They clearly have different customers who both love the outdoors. One just sleeps in a 5-star hotel and the other sleeps in a tent.
The overall Globetrotter vibe is REI flagship store on steroids.
I don’t mean any of this as a knock on Globetrotter. They are a true outdoor store who caters to their outdoor customer with authenticity, and I totally respect that.
Well worth the visit.
Originally posted December 6, 2024
ISPO Update #5: 𝗠𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘀
If Boulder, CO has the most outdoor brand shops per square mile, then Munich must be a close second. It's another great spot to see who is putting their best foot forward. So on a busy Wednesday afternoon (Christmas market in full swing), I visited the stores and took pics of what greeted me just inside the door.
I had fun with awards during my Boulder visit (see comments), so here goes again:
𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗲: Goldwin, GOLDWIN INC.
Off a little side street, this store is so worth your time. The product is elegant yet complex, taking different approaches to fabrics and constructions.
𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗳𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗲: Canada Goose
Probably not surprising for this "outdoor luxury" brand, but they really leaned into the upscale vibe. Beautifully done, if you're into that kind of thing.
𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗲: UGG
I waited for the crowd to clear for my pic, but the store was jammed. People still love them some Ugg boots... and who knew they had all that outerwear?
𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗺𝗮𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽-𝗶𝗻-𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽: Fjällräven
Taking up a decent chunk of the second floor of @Globetrotters, this store really brings the whole Fjallraven assortment to life in vivid color.
𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗲: Salewa
I was immediately greeted by Patrick who gave me the full rundown on the store, despite only being on the payroll for 3 days! Give that man a raise.
𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝘂𝗻𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗲: Oakley
Would not let me take a photo (I asked), so none included. Just imagine a whole bunch of snow goggles and you'll get the pic.
𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮𝗻 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱: Norrøna
With dark lighting and a blue video image, it felt a little otherworldly though not necessarily in a bad way. Overall it read much more "brand store" than "retail store".
𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 "𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗱" 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗲: DYNAFIT
With crazy bright lighting and a thumping house beat, this store definitely made an impression. I actually kinda dug it... not following the crowd of laid back outdoorsy vibes.
𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: Burton Snowboards
The basement is where it's at... unfortunately you have to get past the rather uninspiring first floor that does not feature a single snowboard (at least that I could see).
𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝘄𝗸𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗼𝘂𝘁 (𝟮𝗫 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿): The North Face
While not as bad as Boulder, this is another store with an awkward layout that does not allow the brand to put its best foot forward. The team did their best, but the space is tough.
Other stores included in the photos (but not "award" winners): Arc'teryx Equipment, Peak Performance, Salomon, Mammut Sports Group AG, JACK WOLFSKIN.
Any that I missed? (Patagonia was too far of a walk, sorry)
Originally Posted December 5, 2024
ISPO Update #4: Sporthaus Schuster GmbH visit.
No visit to Munich would be complete without stopping by this outdoor sport icon.
At six stories, Schuster covers many outdoor sports with a wide assortment of the industry’s best brands.
The merchandising is impeccable, with fixturing and lighting that lets the product shine, interspersed with vignettes of interestingly styled and posed mannequins. The overall feel is very high end but without crossing over into fashion boutique.
It is no wonder that every outdoor brand wants to be presented in the store. Sections are generally organized by brand so the customer can get a better sense of the brand story. I’m guessing brands pay extra co-op funds to really make their presence shine, not to mention allocating their most sought after items.
Even with all the different brands, the merchandisers manage to make the sections still feel cohesive with interesting color stories (though part of that may be that every brand reads the same color trend reports).
Like much of our industry, Schuster is clearly focused on outerwear and apparel, followed by footwear, then equipment. Some equipment like ski and backpacks are well represented but others like camp and bike were tucked away in a corner of the basement.
Overall, a must visit for anyone in retail.
Originally Posted December 5, 2024
ISPO Update #3: Can someone explain to me the point of the Highsnobiety section of the show? I get that they are all about promoting the coolest street wear, etc., but this wasn’t that (Zeitgeist section had some like And Wander).
Instead, it was a set of disconnected product vignettes (Stanley 1913, Oakley, Columbia Sportswear Company, adidas Terrex) and then a roped off exhibit space.
I guess I’m just not cool enough to get it?
If you want to hear my full download on ISPO, listen to the Rock Fight podcast that will drop on Monday Dec 9.
Originally Posted December 4, 2024
ISPO Update #2: It’s interesting to see Vuori with a small, unassuming booth in the Zeitgeist section of the show for smaller, interesting brands (kinda like the Venture Outdoors section of Outdoor Retailer back in the day).
Obviously Vuori is a big deal in the U.S. market, but they are just starting here. They are following the same strategy, launching in premium outdoor-active stores and initially focusing on the U.K. and German/Austrian markets.
To the Europeans at the show wondering what all the fuss is about, stop by and check out the hand feel on their fabrics.
If you want to hear my full download on ISPO, listen to the Rock Fight podcast that will drop on Monday Dec 9.
Originally posted December 4, 2024
ISPO Update #1: It’s been a while since I’ve seen Patagonia at a tradeshow, so I was interested to see how they’d be presented at ISPO.
In further evidence that Patagonia is not in “the fashion business”, the booth only features a few lonely racks of actual product. The rest of the booth is a Worn Wear section and a large cafe with the biggest area dedicated to tables, all with RESERVED signs.
I think the intent is for Patagonia to serve as a meeting point within the ISPO sustainability hub.
If you want to hear my full download on ISPO, listen to the Rock Fight podcast that will drop on Monday Dec 9.
Originally posted on December 3, 2024
