Q1

How’s business? What exciting things are happening at Leki that our retail members should know?

A: Business has been good despite the weather challenges over the last couple of seasons here in the US. It has been a few years since ski areas in the East and West had a good season for skiing simultaneously. In 22/23, the East had a poor winter while the West was so snowy that many people couldn’t access the mountains during critical holiday periods. This season the snow came really late in the West, and every time things started to look good out East, warm weather would set things back. The ski industry is all about perception, and when there is good early snow, consumers have the confidence to buy gear as they believe the season is going to be solid. Someone once told me that people will ski on rocks in November, but when the ski area base depths peak in spring, they just want to ride their bikes.

At LEKI, we are always trying to innovate, and while poles themselves haven’t changed dramatically over the last decade, we are in constant pursuit of designing the most comfortable and highest-performing grips in the business. Our Trigger system has been around for decades, but through each iteration, we have made them more secure and performance-oriented. Not only is Trigger convenient but having a seamless interface between grip and glove leads to an exceptional feel on snow. Our line of gloves and mittens continues to expand and improve each season, and the product can be found on everyone from World Cup racers atop the podium to backcountry skiers heading deep into the backcountry. The glove market is highly competitive, but our designs and inclusion of the Trigger Loop in most LEKI gloves gives us a unique product that is doing well.

Q2

How would you describe the Leki brand? Tell us about your focus on innovation.

A: The vision of LEKI is to be the best pole and glove in the world for everybody. From the best ski racers on the planet to the weekend warrior, we want to offer a product mix that combines the best materials with impeccable design and attention to detail. LEKI has been in business for 75 years and has developed a reputation for best-in-class technology, innovation, and exceptional durability. We are still a family-owned business (on the 3^rd generation), manufacturing a majority of our products in Europe. LEKI only makes poles and gloves (and a little race protection); therefore, we are laser-focused on what we do. We can focus our innovative energy on just a few products so the consumer can have confidence that they are buying products from a company that goes deep to ensure they are making the best products on the market. German engineering combined with never-ending innovation keeps us very excited.

Q3

Like all companies in this space, protection of the outdoors is critical for business performance. What are Leki’s sustainability initiatives? What recommendations can you make for the industry?

A: LEKI is very focused on being responsible stewards of the land and finding ways to make production as low-impact as possible. Our factory is in the Czech Republic, and we were early adopters of solar and have been using it for more than a decade, putting more power on the grid annually than we use. We also take heat from the production process and divert it to other places in the factory, eliminating the need to generate heat in the winter months. We are also the first company to make a pole entirely from sustainable materials. Our new HEMP ONE Vario trekking pole is out later this summer. The shaft is made from hemp and grown near the factory, and the other materials used in the construction are natural. There are numerous processes in the factory that have been modified to virtually eliminate waste.

Q4

From Leki’s perspective what makes a good retail partner? What does Leki do to help its retail partners be successful?

A: The best retail partners are those who understand and appreciate what makes the brand unique. Not all poles and gloves are created equal, and retailers and floor staff who can articulate our innovations, product features, benefits, and differentiation suit us well. Having an educated sales team is important. We are never going to be the cheapest option on the sales floor, great retailer partners are able to educate consumers on what they are paying for. We try to focus our marketing efforts on differentiating our products and helping consumers understand the benefits they will enjoy from our unique features. We also try to provide retailers with the tools they need to succeed. We constantly try to create visibility for the brand, so we are at the top of mind when a consumer enters a retailer. Retailers have a tough job, especially in an environment where so many consumers gravitate toward the lowest-cost option. Getting a customer from walking in wanting a $39 pole to leaving with a $99 pole isn’t easy, so we try to do our part to give retailers some tools to help shape those purchase paths. 

Q5

Any predictions for 2024-2025?

A: I think 24/25 is going to be a challenging year for the outdoor industry as a whole. Many ski retailers have a lot of inventory left over after this season, given that winter came so late in the West and barely came to much of the East at all. I think retailers are cautiously optimistic about the coming winter, but they need to sell through some inventory on hand before reloading. The ideal scenario is that a majority of ski regions in the US have early snow to get consumers fired up about the season. It is a lot easier to book that MLK/President’s Day ski trip at Thanksgiving when ski areas are already open and getting snow. Those of us in the ski business have to be extra tough. We deal with the economy like every industry, but the added variable of being at the mercy of the weather tends to make us all gray a little sooner than those outside the industry. At least we are in the business of selling fun, and that offsets a lot of uncertainty.