Vuarnet Sport has developed an interesting partnership with the Russian Alpine Ski and Snowboard Federation. The brand, which is named after the famous French Olympic champion Jean Vuarnet, is going to outfit the young alpine ski champions of the Russian federation through 2014, including their participation in the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi. On top of that, the federation will act as Vuarnet Sport's exclusive distributor in Russia, starting with the next winter season, through a newly formed wholesale company in which it has a majority stake.
The contract with the Russian federation has been extended to cover all the items for which Vuarnet Sport has a European license, i.e. skis, skiwear, gloves and helmets. The French company has developed a specific range of clothing for the Russian federation.
Vuarnet Sport performed relatively well during the past winter season, particularly in France where the revenues generated by its skiwear have more than doubled. They have been sold by some 60 selected retailers including the sports section of the Galeries Lafayette department store in Paris, where the brand had one of the biggest sell-out rates. Vuarnet's first European single-brand store, which opened at Val d'Isère a few months ago, has performed very well, and a contract is being finalized for a similar store that should be opened next autumn at Courchevel, another major French ski resort.
Meanwhile, Vuarnet's sales in the more established Italian and Austrian markets have risen slightly, in spite of the lack of snow. Bernard Liatti, the former Rossignol executive who is running the licensed Vuarnet Sport operation, is boosting its staff in the Albertville area as he is confident of achieving the objective of an annual sales increase of between 15 and 20 percent. Notably, he is looking for an experienced product manager to work with the manufacturers and with the design office in Italy. He is also looking for the right distributors for Switzerland and in the Scandinavian countries.
