Columbia's Successful New Look

by Rachel Decker

After years of "tried and true" and just plain "tired" designs, locally-based Columbia Sportswear has revamped their aesthetic to target a much younger crowd. The entire company, which also includes Sorel Footwear and Mountain Hardware, is on the up-and-up according to the figures from the third quarter of last year: In October, Columbia declared that its third quarter sales were up 16% as a result of increased marketing, new designs and technologies, and profits were up 11% overall. The outerwear company projects that sales will increase 17-18% over the year.
It seems that Columbia has finally figured out that people want both form and function, not just the latter. The transformations within the women's collections are especially noteworthy, with the designs moving from boxy, shapeless styles to new fitted and shape-flattering designs. In addition to new silhouettes, bright colors and bold prints characterized both the men's and women's winter outerwear lines, thus appealing to a younger ski and snowboard market.


The new OmniHeat technology is also a large part of Columbia's winter marketing focus. The OmniHeat line not only features new fabric technologies that supposedly reflect heat back to the body, but also features jackets, boots, and pants that are literally heated by an electric power source. Tim Boyle, president and CEO of Columbia, stated, "We achieved quarterly sales of over $500 million for the first time in the company’s 72 year history, highlighted by the global launch of our innovative Omni-Heat™ warmth technologies." This new and interesting technology, combined with the risque marketing campaign (portraying scantily-clad or even nude individuals in the snow using OmniHeat garments to warm up), has refueled a lot of interest in the company.

Image courtesy of Columbia Sportswear


Retailers have also taken a new interest in Columbia's new look - Nordstrom and other high-end department stores carried a large selection of Sorel boots and Columbia garments this season, further stressing the importance of capturing the consumer who shops more for form than function.


Finally, Columbia is realizing the potential of targeting a more youthful market, and living up to the stardards that Portland's active-lifestyle demands. Already a giant in the outerwear market, Columbia's continued success will be one to watch in the coming year.