Premium over mass: how the ski market is reinventing itself

As tulips begin to bloom in the valleys and trees start to bud, the winter high season returns to the mountains. At Easter, snow enthusiasts travel to the mountains one last time to enjoy the final runs of the season.

What is the current state of the ski and snowboard market? For decades, the health of the industry could be reliably gauged at the Ispo sports trade fair in Munich, which was long dominated by winter sports. This has changed significantly in recent years. The number of exhibitors in this category has decreased year after year. The large mega-booths of market leaders have given way to smaller formats, until hardly any brands remained and hardware almost completely disappeared. Has the industry already bowed out in the face of rising temperatures due to climate change?

Ski market is growing

“It is not as many always claim: ‘There is no more snow, and therefore people are not skiing as much’. That is not true,” contradicts Hans Taubenberger, founder and managing director of the German premium ski label Toni Sailer Sports. Martin Lien, chief commercial officer at the Norwegian freeski and outdoor provider Norrøna, even identifies a “growing interest in skiing in many countries”.

Intersport Austria, for example, reported an “exceptionally positive” winter business for 2025/26 in its January interim report, with a 6 percent increase in turnover year-over-year. The driving forces were ski rental (up 12 percent) and the sale of skis and ski boots (up 22 percent). Alpine winter sports are therefore not in decline, but are undergoing a profound reorganisation or a “phase of renewal”, as Stefano Saccone, brand president at the Swedish ski and outdoor brand Peak Performance, puts it.

Transformation of the ski market

What exactly is being reorganised? A look at the ski regions provides some insight. “Skiing has become extremely expensive in recent years and is affordable for fewer and fewer people,” explains Hans Taubenberger of Toni Sailer. A ski pass now costs between 50 and 100 euros per day per person. This is in addition to increased accommodation and food costs, as well as the cost of equipment.

Fewer people and families can or want to afford a ski holiday. Skiing is therefore losing its importance as a mass sport and family event. It is increasingly positioning itself in the premium segment with greater internationalisation and a growing focus on affluent target groups.

Additionally, the sport is increasingly shifting to high-altitude, snow-sure destinations such as Zermatt, St. Moritz or Lech Zürs am Arlberg. These locations combine several success factors: reliable snow conditions despite climate change; continuous investment in infrastructure; and a diverse range of experiences that extend far beyond skiing, from luxury hotels and culinary offerings to high-end retail. The latter is now often located directly within luxury hotels.

Smaller, lower-altitude ski resorts, on the other hand, face a long-term threat to their existence due to a lack of guaranteed snow, the high cost of artificial snowmaking and a lack of investment. Growth is therefore no longer driven by volume but by value.

Retail is also restructuring

This shift is clearly visible in retail. “The number of retailers in the lowlands has changed significantly,” Taubenberger continues. “In medium-sized towns and outside of ski resorts, there are fewer and fewer retailers buying skiwear.”

While the company supplied around 20 retailers throughout Germany a few years ago, today it only serves the five major key accounts, such as Sport Schuster in Munich and Breuninger in Stuttgart. At the same time, turnover has clearly shifted: Toni Sailer Sports now generates 80 percent of its turnover in ski resorts and only 20 percent in cities. “There has been a major shift,” says Taubenberger. The growing e-commerce business is further reinforcing this trend.

Regional decoupling secures value retention

This development even has its advantages. Skiwear has long been out of sync with the seasonal rhythms of retailers outside of ski resorts. While the first markdowns are already happening in the lowlands before Christmas because the spring collections are about to arrive, the winter season is only just beginning in the ski resorts.

Shops in ski destinations have long complained about these distorted competitive conditions. This regional shift in the retail structure makes it more likely that ski products will retain their value for longer. The aim, however, remains to deliver the goods as early as possible.

Taubenberger says: “We deliver very early. The goods are available at the beginning of September.” He even calls the early delivery date a “secret to success”. In high-altitude areas, the ski season often starts in the autumn, or skiing is even possible all year round thanks to glaciers. Those who already have new stock in their shops at that time can build up a good turnover cushion right at the start of the season.

“We had a cold snap at the end of September and sold well. That immediately creates a positive atmosphere,” he reports on the course of the current season.

New competitors reflect market attractiveness

The continued appeal of the ski market is demonstrated by the many fashion brands that now regularly present ski capsule collections. These range from luxury houses like Louis Vuitton, Prada and Dior to the fashion retailer H&M. Other brands collaborate with ski legends, such as Ferragamo with Alberto Tomba, or open their own stores with ski capsules in ski resorts, as Loro Piana recently did in Cortina d’Ampezzo.

Hans Taubenberger, whose company is currently celebrating its 20th anniversary, welcomes this competition. “When such brands invest in ski collections, it shows that it is an interesting segment. We are relaxed because we are much more functional and have many years of experience.”

Other ski brands share this view. Stefano Saccone of Peak Performance says: “The more brands that enter this area, the more the relevance of the segment is underlined.” He is not so much talking about fashion brands entering the ski market, but rather about a growing differentiation within it.

“While traditional brands continue to shape the industry, we are seeing an influx of newcomers, especially in piste skiing, who bring a fresh aesthetic and tap into the growing, lifestyle-oriented consumer base.” It is precisely this increasing number of newcomers he is referring to when he speaks of “the phase of renewal” mentioned earlier.

Differentiation of the sport

This specialisation and the emergence of new brands originate from within the sport of skiing itself. Martin Lien of Norrøna elaborates: “We often talk about the ‘strong ski culture’ with which we identify. In reality, however, we encounter a multitude of different subcultures, each with its own interests, perspectives, identity markers, opinions, desires, needs and visions.”

There are elite athletes; ski touring enthusiasts, with and without ice axes or crampons; classic piste skiers; snowboarders; freeskiers; and those who like to take the lift to the summit but then hike 200 vertical metres with skins before descending back into the valley through deep powder. They all have different technical requirements for their clothing, which sometimes needs to be as light and breathable as possible, and at other times, such as when riding a lift, requires more insulation.

And to design. Even the pioneering snowboard brand Burton, which revolutionised skiing in the late 1970s with the commercialisation of the snowboard and reinvented it for a young target group, recognises this evolution and creates its own lines for new audiences.

“Our designs are driven by how riders want to look and feel. An example is our [ak] line (named after Alaska), which became a standalone collection in 2000 to provide our top big-mountain riders with super-technical gear. [ak] was born out of necessity: riders pushing deeper into the backcountry needed technical gear with an added style that represented them as snowboarders,” explains Mike Gratz, creative director of product at Burton Snowboards.

Back to nature as a counter-trend

Ultimately, the increased interest in off-piste skiing can also be seen as a reaction to the traditional ski world. Those who are no longer willing to pay high prices for lift passes every day and want to escape the classic ski scene on the pistes are looking for alternatives, and finding them away from the groomed slopes.

“Skiing in untouched snow has always been the holy grail of the ski world, but it is now more popular than ever. The queues at the lifts in popular ski resorts are getting longer, and the prices for lift passes are rising. This, combined with a general trend of seeking peace and harmony in nature, clearly shows that backcountry skiing in its many forms will continue to grow in popularity,” says a convinced Martin Lien of Norrøna. Norrøna therefore not only supports its target group with the right equipment but also offers guided tours to untouched, spectacular ski areas in Norway and many other countries.

The backcountry thus becomes the antithesis of classic ski tourism: less infrastructure, less consumption, but more personal responsibility, natural experience and authenticity. It is also “in many ways the opposite of the digital world,” adds Stefano Saccone of Peak Performance. In all its different forms, from freeriding to ski touring, this area is developing into a dynamic segment of winter sports.

Olympics: a showcase for the sport

The question remains as to whether and how the Winter Olympics in February contributed to the interest in skiing. From the perspective of ski brands, they play an important role in the visibility and emotional appeal of winter sports.

“Major international events are incredibly important to us, not just as a company, but for the sport of snowboarding as a whole. Every four years we have a unique opportunity to show the world what it really means to be a snowboarder,” says Mike Gratz of Burton. “They are an international celebration and a showcase for winter sports,” adds Martin Lien of Norrøna, even if this can rarely be measured in concrete sales growth.

The fashion industry also used the Winter Olympics to put itself in the spotlight, much like it did at the 2024 Summer Games in Paris. Numerous collaborations and sponsorship deals with teams and top athletes show how much fashion companies now see sport as a stage, and the extensive media coverage of the athletes' outfits proves them right.

It is therefore unlikely that winter sports will prematurely succumb to climate change.

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