Rossignol closed the books on the company’s 2004 fiscal year, which ended in March, reporting a 1.1% decline in sales when measured in Euros, down from €484.9 million ($482.0 mm) in 2003 to €479.4 million ($563.7 mm) for the past year. With over half of its sales coming from outside of the EU, unfavorable exchange rates drove sales down by €27.8 million. On a currency neutral basis, Rossignol would have posted a sales increase of 4.7% to €507.9 million, 30 basis points below their target growth rate of 5%.

Rossignol fourth quarter sales, from January-March 2004, were €83.4 million ($104.2 mm); this is a 6.7% increase on the same period of the previous year at the given exchange rates. Historically, this is the highest level of sales ever achieved in Q4 for the company.

Splitting the sales up into product categories, winter sports equipment was down 2.7% as reported, from €347.9 million ($345.9 mm) last year to €338.5 million ($398.0 mm) this year. Again, exchange rates impacted sales negatively; on a constant currency basis Rossignol SnowSports sales were up 0.7%.

Alpine equipment sales were €288.7 million ($339.4 mm), down 0.6% from last year. However, the company said that alpine skiing products performed “in line with target,” with boots and bindings “in first place in the world market” at the end of the season. Snowboard sales plummeted 18.4% to €35.5 million ($41.7 mm) compared to €43.5 million ($43.2 mm) last year. Boots and bindings were the weak point for snowboard sales. Rossignol said that the group has “tightened up” its organization in these areas and “begun to reposition its range with new products.”

The Nordic and Skate category was the only SnowSports division to show a current-currency sales increase, inching up 2.9% to €14.3 million ($16.8 mm) when compared to €13.9 million ($13.8 mm) last year. Sales of Nordic product were said to be “in line with budget.”

Clothing and accessories sales jumped 20.1% to €33.5 million ($39.4 mm) when compared to last year’s €27.9 million ($27.7 mm). On a constant exchange rate, sales for the category would have jumped 22.2%. Rossignol is banking on future growth out of this division, saying the company is, “pursuing its development in this business which is destined to play a larger part in group sales.”

The Group’s golf division posted a sales decline of 3.4% from €106.2 million ($105.6 mm) last year to €102.6 million ($120.6 mm) this year. Currency Neutral sales would have increased 11.8%, and sales for the division are expected to grow in the double digits this year.

Skate and Tennis showed a very strong growth number, although total sales remain relatively insignificant. The division’s sales jumped 65.5% from €2.9 million ($2.9 mm) last year to €4.8 million ($5.6 mm) this year.

Surprisingly, the growth was due entirely to in-line skates, with sales increasing 114.3% from €2.1 million ($2.1 mm) to €4.5 million ($5.2 mm).

The Rossignol brand showed considerable growth in Europe, climbing 7.9% to €226.5 million, or 47.2% of total group sales, compared to €209.9 million or 43.3% of group sales last year. North American sales fell 7.8% to €188.7 million, or 39.4% of total group sales compared to €204.6 million or 42.2% of sales last year. When measured in local currency, N.A. sales actually grew 9.8% in 2004, from $203.4 million last year to $221.9 million this year.