Adidas Outdoors had global sales of EUR 200 million ($265mm) in 2010 and its sales are growing faster than the 22 percent rate reported by Adidas Group as a whole for the first quarter, Senior Vice President for Global Outdoor Rolf Reinschmidt told Bloomberg TV.
“We are already seeing the first very positive results,” Reinschmidt said of the company’s entry into the U.S. outdoor market this year. The company’s apparel and footwear products will hit about 300 specialty outdoor shops this fall. “The outdoor category has been one of fastest growing categories within the Adidas Group in 2010 and that trend is clearly expected to continue.”
Reinschmidt told Bloomberg that while Adidas and Nike have struggled to establish themselves in the U.S. outdoor market, which he said tends to shun major brands, Adidas is taking a new tack by distributing exclusively through the specialty channel.
Reinschmidt told Bloomberg that while Adidas and Nike have struggled to establish themselves in the U.S. outdoor market, which he said tends to shun major brands, Adidas is taking a new tack by distributing exclusively through the specialty channel.
He said Adidas Outdoor’s sales reached EUR200, or $265 million, in 2010 through sales in Europe, Asia and Latin America. That was enough to place the company among the five largest outdoor brands globally.
“That is what most people underestimate,” Reinschmidt said. “We are a big player based on the fact that we are a global player.”
He added that despite recent reports, Adidas has no plans to expand its presence in the outdoor market through acquisitions.
