Jack Wolfskin GmbH reported sales declined 7.9 percent in 2013 due in part to fierce competition in its home markets of Germany and Austria and a restructuring of its sales force. The German company said sales of its outdoor apparel, footwear and equipment reached €324 million, or about $430 million using the average euro to dollar exchange rate for 2013.


 

While it struggled at home, however, the company experienced strong sales abroad. Sales grew 45 percent in the United Kingdom, 13.7 percent in Eastern Europe and 25 percent in China. The company expects to see further growth abroad and a better performance in Germany this year, according to CEO Michael Rupp.

 

“We worked hard in 2013 and paved the way for growth in 2014 by means of a continually high rate of new products in the collection, staffing and structural changes in sales, as well as the expansion of our activities in Russia,” Rupp said. “A significant increase in order figures in Europe has also strengthened this positive trend, giving rise to our optimism for the 2014 financial year.”

 

While not publicly traded, Jack Wolfskin has released unaudited sales figures since 2011, when it was acquired by Blackstone Group, which manages $67 billion in private equity. Jack Wolfskin products are sold at 4,000 points of sale across Europe and Asia, including 800 franchise stores.