Industry in hot pursuit of cold weather profits

The Olympic Games have played a tremendous role in boosting the snow sports business in particular, said Lai Gang, founder of Goski.

"When talking about winter sports, people usually talk about ice here," Lai said. "Now almost everyone in the country knows about snow sports, thanks to the outstanding performance of snowboarders and skiers during the Games."

He said Goski's revenue－generated by Cold Mountain, its retail network for winter sports apparel and gear, and Goski Originals, its ski gear and clothing line－h(huán)ad soared at least 50 percent year-on-year in 2021. The growth rate was 80 percent during the Spring Festival holiday, which this year coincided with the Games.

"It is such a pleasant surprise to see our business booming, encouraging us to be optimistic about how we perform this year," Lai said.

Goski is opening new stores in eastern and southern China, where there are more indoor ski resorts, and developing new production lines amid Lai's meetings with institutional investors during the Games. "The winter sports industry is the hottest investment area this year," he added.

The prosperity of the snow sector is also propelling the expansion of the US-based snowboard brand Burton, which has sponsored leading snowboarders including Shaun White and Su Yiming.

In the snowboarding sector, the top five most popular brands during last year's Double 11 shopping event included Burton and Nitro, with domestic brand Nobaday ranking No 8, according to an e-commerce report released by research institute Ebron.

The company reported that sales performance was good for the whole snow sports industry in China.

"We will open several direct-to-consumer stores in different cities this year, adding to our existing and online stores," according to a statement from Burton. "We will also open Burton Academy, which is focused on training, coach certification and customized experiences."

The company said it has plans to expand its reach to more consumers in China by rolling out more products and services based on characteristics of local consumers and the local environment. It said it will consider features like resorts, weather and different consumer needs to provide the most comprehensive and best sports experience it can for local consumers.

The company said it focuses on creating more opportunities with consumers by leveraging Burton Academy and offering holistic experiences to consumers to bring more people into the sport.

Lai of Goski sees a rosy picture for winter sports, fueled by a large number of urbanites who have not yet gotten out on the snow. That creates opportunities for domestic brands to advance quickly, including those in southern China who are becoming more interested in experiencing cold season sports.

However, challenges remain for domestic ski gear manufacturers and sellers, Lai said. It will require more research and development to achieve technological advances, as well as to cultivate a culture of helping skiers and snowboarders gain a sense of brand value, he said.