About Columbia Sportswear Co

Columbia Sportswear Company operates as a global leader in designing, developing, marketing, and distributing outdoor, active and lifestyle products, including apparel, footwear, accessories, and equipment. Brands and Products The company connects active people with their passions by providing them with the products they need to seek inspiration and adventure. The company meets the diverse needs of its customers and consumers through the company’s four brands by designing, developing, marketing, and distributing the company’s outdoor, active and lifestyle products, including apparel, footwear, accessories and equipment. Columbia | Founded in 1938, the company’s Columbia brand's mission is to unlock the outdoors for everyone. The company’s Columbia brand offers authentic, high-value outdoor apparel, footwear, accessories and equipment products suited for hiking, trail running, snow, and fishing and hunting activities, as well as everyday outdoor activities. SOREL | Acquired in 2000, the company’s SOREL brand has evolved from a men's utility boot brand into a contemporary lifestyle brand bringing style to the outdoors. The company’s SOREL brand leverages its rich heritage, innovation and style to offer distinct, compelling, and unexpected footwear to consumers around the world. Mountain Hard Wear | Acquired in 2003, the company’s Mountain Hardwear brand's mission is to encourage and equip people to seek a wilder path in life. With over 30 years of wild wisdom, the company’s Mountain Hardwear brand continues to design essential, premium apparel, accessories and equipment products for climbers, mountaineers, skiers, snowboarders, and trail athletes. prAna | Acquired in 2014, the company’s prAna brand's mission is to inspire an intentional, authentic life. Energized by the culture of yoga and climbing, the company’s prAna brand offers apparel, accessories and equipment products for consumers defining their own kind of movement. Across the company’s diverse portfolio of brands, the company’s products have gained recognition for their innovation, quality, value, and performance. The company’s products incorporate the cumulative design, fabrication, fit, and construction technologies that the company has pioneered over several decades and continue to innovate. The company’s apparel, accessories and equipment products are designed to be used for all seasons, activities and locations. The company’s footwear products include durable, lightweight hiking boots, trail running shoes, rugged cold weather boots for activities on snow and ice, sandals and shoes for use in water activities, and footwear for lifestyle wear. Seasonality The company’s business is affected by the general seasonal trends common to the industry, including seasonal weather and discretionary consumer shopping and spending patterns. The company’s products are marketed on a seasonal basis, and the company’s sales are weighted substantially toward the third and fourth quarters (year ended December 2023), while the company’s operating costs are more equally distributed throughout the year. Marketing The company’s portfolio of brands enables the company to target a wide range of consumers with differentiated products. The company’s marketing supports and enhances its competitive position in the marketplace, drives alignment through seasonal initiatives, builds brand equity, raises brand relevance and awareness, infuses the company’s brands with excitement, and most importantly, stimulates consumer demand for the company’s products. The company’s integrated marketing efforts deliver consistent messages about the performance benefits, features and styles of the company’s products within each of its brands and their target consumers. The company utilizes a variety of means to deliver its marketing messages, including digital marketing, social media interactions, television and print publications, experiential events, brand ambassadors, enhanced product store displays, and consumer-focused public relations efforts. In addition, the company reinforces its brands' marketing messages with the company’s key wholesale customers by utilizing digital platforms, television, print and advertising campaigns, as well as in-store branded visual merchandising display tools and favorable product presentation. The company operates branded e-commerce and marketing sites and maintain an active presence on a variety of global social media platforms. The company also authorizes and encourages its international distributors to connect with consumers by operating e-commerce and marketing sites and maintaining a presence on social media platforms. Digital marketing and social media engagement increase the company’s ability to build strong emotional connections with consumers through consistent, brand-enhancing content. The company’s digital media connects its consumers to brand content and products, while facilitating their direct product purchases or directing them to nearby retail locations. Sales and Distribution The company sells its products in more than 100 countries and operates in four geographic segments: United States (‘U.S.’); Latin America and the Asia Pacific (‘LAAP’); Europe, the Middle East and Africa (‘EMEA’); and Canada. Each geographic segment operates predominantly in one industry: the design, development, marketing, and distribution of outdoor, active and lifestyle apparel, footwear, accessories, and equipment products. The company sells its products through a mix of distribution channels. The company’s wholesale distribution channel consists of small, independently operated specialty outdoor and sporting goods stores, regional, national and international sporting goods chains, large regional, national and international department store chains, internet retailers, international distributors where the company generally does not have its own direct operations, and certain other retailers. The company’s DTC distribution channel consists of its own network of branded and outlet retail stores, brand-specific e-commerce sites, and concession or franchise based arrangements with third-parties at branded, outlet and shop-in-shop retail locations in the LAAP and EMEA regions. In addition, the company earns revenue through licensing certain of the company’s trademarks across a range of apparel, accessories, equipment, and home products. The U.S. The U.S. is the company’s largest segment and provides apparel, accessories and equipment products through the company’s Columbia, Mountain Hardwear, and prAna brands; and footwear products through the company’s Columbia and SOREL brands. These products are sold by the company’s U.S. wholesale and DTC businesses. The company has over 1,850 wholesale customers in the U.S. In 2023, the company’s four largest U.S. wholesale customers accounted for approximately 20% of U.S. net sales, and were less than 10% individually. The company directly operates retail stores and temporary clearance locations. The company distributes the majority of its U.S. products from distribution centers that the company owns and operates in Portland, Oregon and Robards, Kentucky, as well as through third-party logistics companies that operate distribution centers in Cincinnati, Ohio and Louisville, Kentucky and other facilities located near United States ports. The company also arranges to have products directly shipped from contract manufacturers to wholesale customer-designated facilities in the United States. LAAP LAAP provides apparel, accessories and equipment products through the company’s Columbia, Mountain Hardwear and prAna brands and footwear products through the company’s Columbia and SOREL brands. These products are sold by the company’s wholly-owned subsidiaries in Japan, Korea and China, and through distributors in other LAAP markets. The company has nearly 350 wholesale customers, including distributors, in LAAP. In 2023, the company’s four largest LAAP wholesale customers accounted for approximately 15% of LAAP net sales, and were less than 10% individually. The company directly operates retail stores, and third-parties operates concession and franchise based stores. The company distributes LAAP products through third-party logistics companies that operate distribution centers near Tokyo, Seoul, and Shanghai for the company’s Japan, Korea and China businesses, respectively. The vast majority of the company’s products sold to LAAP distributors are shipped directly to the distributors from the contract manufacturers from which the company sources its products. EMEA EMEA provides apparel, accessories and equipment products through the company’s Columbia, Mountain Hardwear and prAna brands and footwear products through the company’s Columbia and SOREL brands. These products are sold by the company’s Europe-direct and EMEA distributor businesses. The company has over 3,400 wholesale customers, including distributors, in EMEA. In 2023, the company’s three largest EMEA wholesale customers accounted for approximately 15% of EMEA net sales, and were less than 10% individually. The company directly operates retail stores and third-parties operates concession-based stores. The company distributes the majority of EMEA products from a distribution center that the company owns and operates in France for its Europe-direct business, as well as through third-party logistics companies that operate facilities located near receiving ports. The vast majority of the company’s products sold to EMEA distributors are shipped directly to the distributors from the contract manufacturers from which the company sources its products. Canada Canada provides apparel, accessories and equipment products through the company’s Columbia, Mountain Hardwear and prAna brands and footwear products through the company’s Columbia and SOREL brands. These products are sold by the company’s Canada wholesale and DTC businesses. The company has nearly 550 wholesale customers in Canada. In 2023, the company’s two largest Canada wholesale customers accounted for approximately 25% of Canada net sales, and were approximately 15% and 10% individually. The company directly operates retail stores. The company distributes the majority of Canada products from a distribution center that the company owns and operates in the province of Ontario in Canada, as well as through third-party logistics companies that operate facilities located near receiving ports. Intellectual Property The company owns many trademarks, including Columbia Sportswear Company, Columbia, SOREL, Mountain Hard Wear, prAna, the Columbia diamond shaped logo, the Mountain Hardwear nut logo, the SOREL polar bear logo, and the prAna sitting pose logo, as well as many other trademarks relating to the company’s brands, products, styles, and technologies. The company files applications for the United States and foreign patents to protect inventions, designs and enhancements that the company deems to have commercial value. The company has design and utility patents, which expire at various times, as well as pending patent applications in the United States and other countries. History Columbia Sportswear Company was founded in 1938. The company was incorporated in Oregon in 1961.