Germany’s market leader in backpacks, Deuter Sport, continues to be in good shape. While many suppliers still have to lick their wounds after a difficult 06/07 winter season, Deuter managed to get around the snow problem with its all-seasons offer and an early start of the Spring/Summer season.
Schwanhäußer Industrie Holding GmbH & Co. KG, which took over Deuter in the Fall of 2006, released its own figures for the fiscal year ended June 30, which show a 19 percent increase in turnover to €340 million, partially due to Deuter’s acquisition. But Schwanhäußer’s core businesses in writing materials and cosmetics were successful, too. Sales of writing materials, mainly under the well-known Stabilo brand, grew by 9 percent to €132 million. Cosmetics went up by 11 percent to €183 million.
For the 9-month period from October 2006 to June 2007, Deuter Sport added €25 million to the sales result, roughly equal to its turnover for all of 2005. Deuter had to face some decreases during the winter season with rather niche products like backpacks designed for skiing, which were down by 40 percent, but the company was up in touring backpacks up to 40 liters and especially with packs for biking.
The entire backpack market in Germany is estimated to be up by 8 percent for 2007. According to Sport 2000, Deuter has a market share of well beyond a stunning 40 percent in the branded specialty sporting goods retail channel, excluding private labels like Sport 2000’s High Colorado and Intersport’s McKinley, but the driving forces behind this segment are products which Deuter has not put its focus on so far, i.e. fashionable bags and small packs. This sector is being ruled in the sporting goods stores by brands like Timbuk2, VauDe and with a broader distribution, by Eastpak.
