Locked up for months, deprived of their activities, the French made up for it and set their sights on outdoor sports.
The turnover of the Oxbow brand is a good illustration of this.
Guest of Europe 1, Thursday, its CEO, Emmanuel Debruères says that the growth rate of his brand has increased by 20 to 30% compared to last year.
INTERVIEW
Sports and outdoor activities are on the rise.
This is evidenced by sales of clothing and accessories dedicated to board sports such as skateboarding, surfing and even paddle boarding.
Guest of the show
La France bouge
, Thursday on Europe 1, the CEO and owner of the French brand Oxbow, leader of surfing, is delighted.
This enthusiasm is linked, according to him, to the various confinements with which the French have been confronted.
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"We benefit from a movement of the French towards sport and outdoor activities, and it is very pleasant", enthuses Emmanuel Debruères.
And the trend can be seen in the figures for the company, which has been in existence for 35 years.
"If we take the measure compared to last year at the same time, we are on a double-digit growth rate, that is to say 20 to 30% more".
"We have magnificent playgrounds"
For him, there is no doubt: after being locked up and limited in their movements, the French need to breathe out. "It makes most of the French realize that we have magnificent playgrounds, in the mountains as well as by the sea and by the ocean, and that's what created this craze for outdoor practice ", continues Emmanuel Debruères, adding the need for new practitioners to provide themselves with equipment.
And if Oxbow still stands out today as the leader in surfing equipment, it is because the brand has chosen to refocus on its fundamentals: sports practice, and a return to the origins of technicality. "Oxbow is known for its sweaters and t-shirts and we will continue to sell them, but the raison d'être of the brand is the connection with the practice", confides Emmanuel Debruères, insisting on the envy of the company to "connect with the practitioner". Practitioners of surfing, paddle, but also of skiing and snowboarding. Indeed, after years of having abandoned the disciplines, Oxbow will again offer equipment for winter sports.