ABS 21/22 Snow Safety Preview

Retail Buyers Guide: Snow Safety 21/22 Retail Buyer’s Guide
Brand: ABS
Interviewee: N/A

What are the major trends in the snow safety market for FW21/22?
One of the major trends which we see for the next season is a more convenient and easy way to use safety equipment. More and more people are discovering their interest in the products and therefore also rookies should be in the position to easily and directly use the equipment in the right way.

What sold best during FW20/21?
So far we see our new avalanche backpack A.LIGHT and the safety equipment set A.SSURE (shovel and probe) as our best selling products. Our customers appreciate the striking, clean product design as well as the most compact avalanche set.

Where do you expect the biggest growth for FW21/22?
As already mentioned we expect many people to discover their interest in snow safety products. Hence we see the biggest growth for the next season in new target groups buying avalanche equipment for the first time.

What do customers expect from their snow safety equipment?
As snow safety products are made to protect the customer during their adventures, they expect 100% reliability.

How are you segmenting your snow safety products and what are the main price points in each segment?
We segment our snow safety products into avalanche airbag backpacks with a price of 600 to 800 €, avalanche safety equipment with a price of 25 to 100 € and digital products for 25 €.

What are the most important technologies/features in your avalanche backpacks?
The most important technology is our unique airbag system which allows two independent airbags to deploy in an emergency in a volume-optimized form. We have the largest surface area on the market at 7240 cm2, which is crucial to avoid being buried in an avalanche. The TwinBags help to guarantee a stable position in the avalanche to significantly reduce the anchoring effect and minimize turbulences and thus prevent serious crash injuries.

Which avalanche backpack features set you apart from other brands? Do you offer anything new and outstanding next season?
The outstanding feature of the new A.LIGHT is the RescUnit, where the avalanche protection equipment A.SSURE, consisting of shovel and probe, can be perfectly integrated. Since in an emergency situation, things have to be done very quickly, the colour-coded Emergency Flap allows immediate access to it. This gives you the right tool for the crucial minutes when your companions’ lives are at stake. Furthermore, you have access to the equipment while you still carry your backpack, so you are at all times ready to pull your own airbag, in case of post-avalanches. The integrated design also means that the probe and first aid kit can both be integrated into the shovel. Thus, the minimal pack size saves space in the backpack and is therefore the ideal addition to the new minimalistic ABS® backpacks.

What are the most important technologies/features in your other avalanche equipment (shovel, probe, transceiver)? Do you offer anything new and outstanding next season?
In the future, our A.WAY Beacon and App will be a very strategic product. Using our new beacon technology, the customers can tag their complete equipment with Bluetooth receivers, add it to the app and track it accordingly. Lost equipment, such as a ski in deep snow, can be found again via a distance indicator. The beacon is also available separately and can therefore be retrofitted to third-party equipment such as skis. In order to provide our customers with even more comprehensive support, we offer a new app A.WAY, which provides all the features needed for a ski tour. With RealityMaps, own tours can be planed, recorded and saved, more than 5,000 tours can be followed by GPS, tours can be imported from other tour portals and saved on the smartphone for use without the internet. In the photorealistic 3D aerial map, even the smallest details of the landscape are displayed as in reality. This makes it much easier to find suitable tours than with a topographical map and orientation is easy and safe with this map. In addition, the current weather forecast and the avalanche situation report for the tour are automatically embedded. Furthermore, safety knowledge can be refreshed and checked before the tour. In addition, suitable service products can be booked directly via the app for each registered product. The service package is rounded off with the option of booking insurance packages for the tour through our partner Allianz.

Do you offer any other products in the snow safety category besides the traditional avalanche safety products?
With the A.CROSS, we present for the first time a minimalistic and functionally well thought-out daypack without ABS® airbag system for after-work tourers who move in secured terrain. Unlike conventional daypacks, it is equipped with an integrated safety compartment for avalanche safety equipment such as a shovel, probe and first aid kit. Since it is essential to react particularly fast in an emergency, the Emergency Flap, a simple pull system in red signal colour, allows immediate access to it. Another special feature is the patented shoulder-hip belt carrying system, which not only saves weight but also allows compact adjustment to the back with optimum weight distribution. The A.CROSS can be adapted to individual requirements not only by using the volume expansion system from 8 to 12 litres but also the flexible ABS® GridLab system. Additional equipment such as a helmet or jacket can be fastened quickly and easily with this strap system. Another exciting feature of this stylish daypack, which can also be used for other sports, is the price: The A.CROSS is available (in a set with the new A.SSURE equipment with probe and shovel) for only 198 Euro RRP.

How are you helping retailers sell the snow safety equipment and educate customers (POS displays, etc.)?
To help our retailers, we realize a lot of educational meetings and training with and for them. Within this course, we do not only show them the products and answer their questions but also transfer our know-how in terms of avalanche prevention, snow conditions etc.

Did lockdown affect the sell-through of the FW20/21 range? If so, how are you addressing this issue?
I think everyone and every company is somehow affected by the lockdown. But we tried to make the most of it and managed to stay in touch with our distributors and retailers through our digital showroom.

Please name and describe 3 highlight items from your FW 21/22 collection.
A.LIGHT: As the inventor of the avalanche airbag, ABS® revolutionized winter sports in 1985. 35 years later, the product design has been completely renewed, following the principles of simple & safe – light & fast: The new A.LIGHT was developed for all free-riders, free tourers and off-piste skiers who are seeking the best powder. The unique ABS® TwinBags system allows two independent airbags to deploy in an emergency in a volume-optimized form, significantly increasing the probability of remaining on the surface. The striking, clean product design with a well-thought-out carrying system and minimalistic 10-litre packing volume offer space for a shovel, probe and first aid kit in an integrated safety compartment – any unnecessary packing volume is spared. This makes the backpack particularly compact and leaves no reason not to have an avalanche backpack with you in the powder. The base unit provides enough space for e.g. a water bottle – if additional equipment such as a helmet or jacket needs to be stowed away during the ascent, it can be attached to the backpack using a modular strap system. If extra pack volume is needed for some mountain days, the A.LIGHT can be easily extended with packs in two sizes (15l and 25l) using the new extension system. Optimized for protection in an emergency, the backpack not only has a colour-coded Emergency Flap for immediate access to the integrated safety compartment but is also equipped with a standard leg strap to secure that the backpack cannot be pulled over the head during an avalanche. This strap can easily be stowed away in a special pocket in the hip belt for transport. An insulated pocket, which prevents the loss of the mobile phone’s battery due to temperature, completes the conceived safety package. In addition to the safety features, the carrying experience has also been optimized. While the special back padding protects against falling onto the shovel and probe, the padded carrying straps and an individually adjustable backplate with two bendable aluminium braces ensure the perfect ergonomic fit and maximum comfort during ascent and descent.

A.WAY: All-round care: ABS® understands itself as an expert for protection in adventure in the winter mountains. In order to provide its customers with an even more comprehensive support in the future, ABS® is offering the new app A.WAY, which provides all the features needed for a ski tour. With the RealityMaps, own tours can be planed, recorded and saved, more than 5,000 tours can be followed by GPS, tours can be imported from other tour portals and saved on the smartphone for use without the internet. In the photorealistic 3D aerial map, even the smallest details of the landscape are displayed as in reality. This makes it much easier to find suitable tours than with a topographical map and orientation is easy and safe with this map. In addition, the current weather forecast and the avalanche situation report for the tour are automatically embedded. Furthermore, safety knowledge can be refreshed and checked before the tour. Using the new beacon technology, the complete equipment can be tagged with Bluetooth receivers, added to the app and tracked accordingly. Lost equipment, such as a ski in deep snow, can be found again via a distance indicator. The beacon is also available separately and can therefore be retrofitted to third-party equipment such as skis. In addition, suitable service products can be booked directly via the app for each registered product. The service package is rounded off with the option of booking insurance packages for the tour through our partner Allianz.

A.CROSS: As the inventor of the avalanche airbag, ABS® revolutionized winter sports in 1985. 35 years later, the product design has been completely renewed, following the principles of simple & safe – light & fast: With the A.CROSS, ABS® presents for the first time a minimalistic and functionally well thought-out daypack without ABS® airbag system for after-work tourers who move in secured terrain. Unlike conventional daypacks, it is equipped with an integrated safety compartment for avalanche safety equipment such as a shovel, probe and first aid kit. Since it is essential to react particularly fast in an emergency, the Emergency Flap, a simple pull system in red signal colour, allows immediate access to it. Another special feature is the patented shoulder-hip belt carrying system, which not only saves weight but also allows compact adjustment to the back with optimum weight distribution. The A.CROSS can be adapted to individual requirements not only by using the volume expansion system from 8 to 12 litres but also the flexible ABS® GridLab system. Additional equipment such as a helmet or jacket can be fastened quickly and easily with this strap system. Another exciting feature of this stylish daypack, which can also be used for other sports, is the price: The A.CROSS is available (in a set with the new A.SSURE equipment with probe and shovel) for only 198 Euro RRP.