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Big Wig Interview: Northwave’s General Manager Davide Rossetti
For the past 3 years, Davide Rossetti has been General Manager at Northwave working to advance the company to the next level. Before heading to Northwave, Davide worked as Product Manager, then Marketing Manager of the Safilo Group’s Sport Division bringing with him great expertise. Since joining Northwave, the company has been undergoing a rebranding process. Davide explains to SOURCE just what that process entails, how Northwave have used the events of 2020 as an opportunity to learn, the importance of flexibility both in the supplier-brand-distribution relationship and changing market conditions.
Text: Tell us about your background and what led you in your career to running Northwave.
I have over 25 years experience working in the sporting goods industry. Since my early days, I’ve worked in multinational companies, where I was lucky enough to be able to work in both the wholesale and retail areas of business; in doing so, over the years, helped me build a solid knowledge of both parts of business. I’ve known Northwave since the early 90s when I was working at Safilo Group. At Safilo, I initially worked as Product Manager, then I progressed to Marketing Manager for the Safilo Sport Division (including Smith Sport Optics, Carrera Sports, Polo Sport RLX, etc…). In late 2017, Gianni Piva (Northwave Founder and current President) called me, proposing to me the position of General Manager at Northwave. The job would be to help transition Northwave to the 2nd generation and lead the company to the next level and I didn’t waste a single second in accepting the position and the challenge – especially for a brand I’ve always admired.
How had the company performed in the three months leading to March 2020?
Over the last 2 years, we were all working on an intense company re-engineering process that would allow us to bring the company from what it is today to what it wants to become in the future. We’ve worked on every aspect, from strategical to operational levels. I’m very proud of the team here and for the first two months of 2020 we were displaying positive results. Those first months were going in the same direction of 2018/19, with solid double-digit growth. In the first days of the pandemic, there was a lot of uncertainty as nobody knew what we’d be facing in the coming months. But everybody here acted responsibly, putting a lot of effort into doing what was necessary, to the point where we were working as full on as we would usually do working in the office.
As you know Northwave is both a bike and snowboard business. The pandemic and subsequent lockdowns have highlighted to us just how fast the bike business is changing and developing, this has motivated us to push, even more than we ever expected.
Northwave FW20/21 Splitboard Hardgoods Preview
What have been the biggest lessons learnt since the pandemic hit Italy?
I always think in turbulent times there are opportunities for the ones who are willing to face them and take the challenge. So, for us at Northwave, the pandemic will simply accelerate the processes that are already in progress, with the team working hard to ensure Northwave continues to move in the right direction.
Which opportunities are you looking to take advantage of?
The market dynamics are changing and as a result, you need to learn how to react quickly to the different conditions. I think every company has understood that deep change is needed at the operations level and that digital is not the future: digital is now. Last but not least, the organisation of risk management is also a critical issue.
Shops cut orders dramatically in March. If we’re lucky and the winter goes very well with good snow fall and people go riding, how have you prepared yourself for a potential supply issue?
Needless to say, the tail end of the last sales campaign was impacted by the beginning of the pandemic. Moving goods from Asia isn’t as easy and is far more expensive than in the past. At the moment, I don’t see any potential issue impacting the supply chain as the ‘supply’ issue over the summer was mainly caused by production issues in Asian countries, China mostly, due to the pandemic.
How are Northwave & Drake shaping 21/22 lines to suit the pandemic? Carry-over?
Throughout this year from the bike business, we learnt we needed to keep the supplier-brand-distribution triangle close. Flexibility is not an option, it’s mandatory. Together, we need to find the best way to pass through this tough time, whatever it takes, because after all, this is a health emergency, not an economic emergency. As we learnt last summer: As soon as the pandemic restrictions are eased, consumers rush to experience freedom again. And this is what we exist for – providing products for consumers to enjoy.
What are you doing in the ecommerce channel to ensure your wholesale partnerships remain intact?
The primary objective of our website is to offer full visibility of our collection irrespective of the consumer’s location. We haven’t run any promos/ offers/ discounts/ etc… and as a reference point to our position, we have left everything at full price. Taking into consideration both bike and snow, we’re distributing in over 45 countries around the globe and wholesale is our primary scope of business.
Any overall notions or thoughts on the snowboard industry’s path out of the pandemic?
It’s difficult to say something relevant considering almost nobody really knows how this winter will pan out. Although, I can say that for the coming March, we’re having the same thoughts and worries for the bike business that we’re experiencing now for the snow side of things. There are lots of lessons that can be taken from this situation, such as clarifying ideas and to make decisions on things that were always being postponed. However, above all else, the number 1 lesson is to understand how to support distribution, particularly distributors who predominantly work in one season only, a lesson we can demonstrate this winter season.
How will you be celebrating the brand’s 30th?
We’re currently going through a rebranding process and in mid-2021, our new logo will enter the market. This is a major step for us. There are a number of product releases and communication campaigns dedicated to it. We would’ve loved to have had a couple of big celebrations in Europe, an idea that we haven’t totally discarded, but it’s an idea that we are going to have to keep on hold considering the current situation. So, for Northwave’s snowboard business, I’d say celebrations will mostly be postponed to the 21/22 winter season.
How will Northwave and Drake be supporting retailers without events this winter?
This is one of the major weaknesses of this winter. Needless to say, everybody will be missing ISPO as a trade event but we are still confident there is going to be somewhere in January and February that will serve as a space for demos, events, etc, despite the restrictions due to the pandemic situation. There is no way our dealers can pre-book without testing new products. Digital content can help. Social media can support. Virtual product presentations are now part of the process. But testing products is not just an option. There is no other way when it’s about evaluating new products
Which are your strongest performing territories and where do you see biggest potential for growth?
France is as always one of our main territories, but our focus is to gain space in the DACH area and revamp our presence in United States and Canada with our new distribution setup. This was for a couple of decades where Northwave and Drake was developing the largest part of its business. The consumer and dealer awareness is still there and with a solid team with only one option in front of us.
Which b2b systems are you working with for stock management, catalogue creation and ordering. How has it helped the business and how do you see this growing in the future?
Since the pandemic started to spread, we accelerated most of our projects, where digital transformation (together with sustainability) is one of the main pillars for the future.
For this reason we are re-engineering our flow of information from the development of the collection to the accessibility for our dealers and so provide the best possible service. It is not an overnight process as it implies several internal changes. We see it as the only possible way to support our network in the future to able to compete in the coming scenario.
