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Sweden’s Inlandet Gives Snowboard Biz Update; Carry-Over, Opening New Store + Holding Strong On RRP

Sweden’s Inlandet store has just opened the doors to a new shop in the country’s ski mecca of Åre. Company Co-Founder Ola Nygårds tells us about their tentative yet positive strategy for the upcoming season and updates on the overall snowsports situation in the Sweden.

How has winter 20/21 kicked off? The U.S the backcountry market is booming… any trends noticed here?
Yes, it’s backcountry here as well. People want to secure their free time this winter, and since there is no guarantee that the lifts will open, splitboards will be the ticket. But unfortunately we can’t get hold of enough bindings, so it’s just a case of when we’ll become sold out.

How much of your orders did you cut back on in March? Did you cut back any more at before winter started?
We did not cut anything, in fact, we opened a new store this fall in the resort of Åre. So we actually took more stock, not less this season. If it was a regular season, we would have needed more products!

What percentage of old stock are you sat on compared to a ‘normal’ year?
We had pretty much the same stock this spring as the year before for both outerwear and hardgoods. But to be honest, we always playing a bit safe.

What support did you request from brands during the pandemic?
We’ve not yet asked for anything special. Most outerwear brands took back stock or have given sales compensation for if we don’t sell through, but that’s not special pandemic support. That’s more the new rules when the brands are your own competition. But we will see how the winter ends up being.

What advice to you have for brands?
I hope they stay safe when it comes to handing out products to unhealthy shops. The last thing we need now is a big sale right across Europe. It would be great if the brands managed to redistribute the stock to other stores, keep more styles as carry forwards and/or sell it themselves.

How do you expect brands to drive consumer demand with zero events?
I guess video and creative local projects will be the goal now. I also think it’s different in a lot of markets as well. In Sweden, we are still “free” to enjoy the nature and we can, and always could, do outdoor activities. It’s just the regular events that won’t happen. Lifts might not open, but the mountains will be here, and hopefully we get some good snow soon.

What are you hoping/expecting to see in product lines from brands for 21/22?
I guess that brands need to keep an eye on the market and be careful on what they produce now. New stuff is always welcomed, but it will just harm the market if stores don’t sell and the brands do the regular updates on colors and graphics. It’s always OK to bring real new stuff to the market, but keep the remakes/tweaks a bit smaller.

Ola Nygards laying down a hand plant at Vans Snowboarding Days 2019, Champoluc. Photo by Vans Swedish rep, Martin Gustafsson.

Sticking your finger in the air… how do you expect this winter to unfold?
Here in Sweden, I think we can expect the government to recommenced less travel, which isn’t such a bad thing. This will maybe force the major ski-resorts to close the lifts, but a lot of Swedes will keep going to their cabins and to the mountains. So we will have people riding, but not like it used to be. I hope that Sweden acts like it did in spring and keeps the country open, but with restrictions for large groups etc. But hey, this is my guess, I really don’t know, and just wish this situation will go away as soon as possible!

Looking at skate and surf as examples, retailers struggled with supply issues (not enough wetsuits and skateboard hardgoods and therefore had to work with completely new suppliers!). Should by some form of miracle, we experience the same boom in the snowboard business this winter, would you have any problems with working with new distributors/brands? Any thoughts on the overall notion of supply chain issues in snowboarding?
Well, since we will need lifts to ride, this could be the problem for the classic snowboard gear. New brands for splitboarding is a bit scary, since we still want to sell tested and good products. But this could, of course, be the case if we find good products quickly. I also think that the lifts could stay open, since it should not be a great danger for people to be out on the mountains. And then we could face the same situation as skate and bikes this summer. I guess rental could be the solution as well for us!