In spring of 2018, the spring was practically canceled, already in April the temperatures climbed to summery heights. For the manufacturers of outdoor clothing that was bad: The sales of rain jackets have therefore fallen significantly. According to the Textile Trade Association (BTE), the apparel industry's total sales decline is around five percent.
On the other hand, Jack Wolfskin, who has recently become a problem child in the outdoor industry, has grown against the trend. As the daily newspaper "Welt" reports with reference to Managing Director Melody Harris-Jensbach, the company based in Idstein, Hesse has generated 42 million euros in surplus. That's almost a fifth more than in the previous fiscal year. Overall, corporate sales rose slightly against the industry trend to 334 million euros.
Jack Wolfskin had plunged into a deep crisis a few years ago following the entry of US investor Blackstone. The investment company wanted to tailor the medium-sized company to a global expansion course.
The investor mortgaged Jack Wolfskin but also a significant portion of the purchase price of about 700 million euros as debt. The strategy went awry: sales stagnated, from 2015 to 2016, for example, the number of branches in Germany sank from 235 to 186.
More background can be found here: Jack Wolfskin - decline of a German brand
