Italian sunglass and ski goggle maker Carrera is returning to its roots in specialty retail after flirting with big box distribution strategies, according to Charlie Adams, sales manager for Level USA, which on January 1 took over U.S. distribution of Carrera from its sister company, Smith Optics.
Italian optics giant Safilo Group, which owns both the Carrera and Smith Optics brands, had placed Carrera's North American sales under Smith Optics, but has since decided to move the line to Level USA after disappointing U.S. sales. Industry insiders say Smith Optics treated the much smaller Carrera as a step child in the U.S.
Nevertheless, Smith Optic's Canadian subsidiary, CANAM Sport Limited, did such a good job positioning Carrera as a premium brand with specialty shops in Canada, that Level will apply its model in the United States.
Smith said last month it would shut down CANAM by March 31 to pursue a direct sales model in Canada, allowing Adams to recruit CANAM's lead Carrera salesman to run both Carrera and the Level gloves business north of the border. Back in the United States, Adams has replaced about half of Carrera's reps since January 1, 2008.
Adams, who spent 18 years with Dynastar before helping form Level USA four years ago, said Carrera and Level will be able to share freight forwarding and other logistical costs. At an average retail price of $70, Level gloves pair up nicely with Carrera, whose helmets and goggles are popular with ski racers.
While Smith sought broader distribution and even sold some Carrera product to The Sports Authority, Level USA will concentrate on narrower distribution through the specialty channel, Adams said.
