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Austrian Boardsports Market Insight February 2021

Record amounts of snow in the South of the country, mountains covered in deep snow in the North: what a winter we have this year! Gorgeous winter landscapes and perfect conditions at winter sports destinations across the country, something you can only describe as dreamlike! Things couldn’t be better… if only we weren’t still accompanied by a virus that continues to keep us firmly in its grip.

After spending 11 months already living a life of restrictions, we are all longing to return to a more “normal” everyday life. For now, however, our daily life continues to be regulated by Lockdown #3, and public life remains largely shut down. It is mandatory to wear a mask unless a minimum distance of 2 metres can be kept, an all-day confinement, a contact ban and travel restrictions are in place, people work from home, shops are closed except for those selling items of daily use, and restaurants and hotels are closed as well. At least the ski resorts are open for locals, which is good in principle, but which has now also sparked a debate in Austria about whether it is sensible to practise winter sports during a lockdown. A debate that the current infection figures are not helping to quell. However, it is clear that we are still in the middle of the second wave.

Those who can, though, are enjoying off-piste descents and solitary pistes, empty winter sports resorts and very little traffic. On the one hand, we ask ourselves more and more: “does it always have to be faster, higher and farther?” On the one hand we “slow down”, while on the other hand our worries about the future intensify: “will it all work out fine?” But Austria, the tourist stronghold of the Alps, is more dependent on tourism than most other regions in the Alps. Winter, in particular, is traditionally an important factor in the economy. Many Austrian citizens make their living in winter, not only directly in the tourism industry such as with hotels and cable cars, but also as bakers, advertising agents, suppliers and many more – there are countless industries that rely on tourism for their existence. Last but not least, the sports and leisure product trade, our retailers with their know-how and unrivalled expertise, our brands, who work with their teams on future products, and we as a trade agency, as an interface, are also affected by this. The situation in the retail sector at the moment can probably be described as tense. Many government measures designed to support the domestic economy are working, but these are generally only addressing the short term and can never fully replace an open shop. Expressed in hard numbers: retailers report a drop in revenue of up to 90%, which is only partially covered by the government measures.

Also in general, the economic situation in Austria remains tense. Unemployment figures continue to be high. Private consumer spending plummeted again at the end of 2020 and in January 2021 due to the high degree of uncertainty, and value creation in trade also fell after the economy had picked up in Q3 2020. The prevailing sentiment among domestic companies can be described as fairly pessimistic. Companies expect the COVID-19 crisis to continue to shape the business situation in the coming months.

The current situation also makes it difficult for all of us to plan the orders for the coming autumn/winter. Most of the shops are still well stocked with this year’s winter products. But we should not forget that there is also positive feedback from retailers, and pessimism will not get us anywhere. So what can we do to survive the current situation? We all have to adapt to the situation as individuals and try to find joint solutions, that’s the only way we can get through it together. So it will still take a lot of effort from all sides! Let’s try to make the best of it! Let’s enjoy the moments out there and the time we can spend with our children, and let’s look to the future together! Snowboarding has always been an expression of creativity, let’s stay creative! See you out there, see you soon in the mountains!