Haglöfs: Haglöfs is doing well – our work is delivering results

Success doesn’t happen by chance – it requires hard work and it takes time. We can now see that our work is delivering results, and we are continuing to grow during what for many companies are very hard times. Our focus on product development is yielding new successes, and we are continuing to make significant investments in the organization. Haglöfs is taking further steps towards becoming the world’s leading outdoor goods company., “The market is the best indication of whether we’re doing things right. We are growing in all dimensions, so we obviously have the right focus,” says Mats Hedblom, Haglöfs’ CEO., The outdoor goods market, The outdoor goods sector continues to be strong despite the global recession. Well-being is increasingly valued, and for many people, an active outdoor life is an effective, simple and economical way to feel good during these times. Leisure tourism is increasing significantly. Many people are choosing to travel locally, and the weak Swedish currency has encouraged an influx of tourists from neighboring countries. Development in Sweden and the Nordic countries reflects what is happening in the rest of Europe. Hiking, camping, cycling, kayaking and skiing are increasingly popular choices for leisure activities., Haglöfs is growing and continues to take market share. The brand is now very strong in the Alpine countries, and we are continuously seeing proof that our efforts are focused correctly. In Germany, which is Europe’s largest market for outdoor goods, our brand is growing stronger every day. Around four months ago we opened our largest ever shop-in-shop, in Cologne. We are fortunate in that our success is evenly spread across all our markets, and we have taken significant steps to improving our position in markets where we have previously not performed according to expectations. This excellent growth has also enabled us to expand into new markets, and during the year we have established the brand in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Slovenia., One of the success factors is our broad product offering. During the year, we fully launched our new shoe collection in all markets, with immediate success. If there were any doubts about our shoe collection in regard to regular order sales, the influx of supplementary orders shows that they have evaporated. Haglöfs’ shoes have been particularly well received by specialists such as orthopedic stores, which praise their construction and usability - a sure sign that we're doing things right., “Now we are taking a step further and expanding our target group through the development of new concepts, while maintaining the technical excellence of our products. We know we’re doing things right and we want to give more people the opportunity to experience Haglöfs’ offering,” Mats Hedblom continues., Organizational investments, We have strengthened our organization in order to achieve our long-term goals. Nicolas Warchalowski has been hired as Marketing & Sales Director. Nicolas has many years of experience working with international brands, gained at Red Bull and Procter & Gamble, and will have an important role in Haglöfs’ future. Roddy Darcy, our chief designer within the business unit Clothing, has also been appointed Design Manager and creative director for development across all business units. Roddy’s experience from some of the world's leading outdoor goods suppliers has made a strong contribution to the development of Clothing, and it feels absolutely right that he should now take overall control of Haglöfs’ strategic direction into the next decade., A new addition to the company is Mats Gärdsell, who will join the board in the spring. Mats is currently head of Lindex in Sweden, and has extensive experience in brand issues, clothing retail and concept development at an international level. Mats has previously worked as marketing director at Levi Strauss & Co in Europe, as a business development and strategy consultant at Cap Gemini Ernst & Young, and with concept development at KFC and Exxon Group., “Through these organizational investments we are strengthening Haglöfs both strategically and operationally. It’s worth mentioning that our investment in the organization of course goes beyond just these three, and we are extremely happy with the excellent job that all our people do,” Mats Hedblom says., Product news, Haglöfs will announce several new products in the run-up to the next season, which will be presented at the Outdoor trade fair in Friedrichshafen in July. And even before the products have reached consumers, we have had proof that our focus is right. Our new Grym trekking boot recently won the award 'Best Scandinavian Outdoor Product 2009/2010’ from the Scandinavian Outdoor Group, an association of around 30 leading outdoor brand suppliers.

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