ROSSIGNOL SNOWBOARD BINDINGS F/W 2025/26 PREVIEW

Retail Buyers Guide: Snowboard Bindings F/W 2025/26 Retail Buyer’s Guide
Brand: Rossignol
Interviewee: ARNAUD REPA / SNB CATEGORY MGMT

How was last season in the snowboard binding market?
Despite a glorious end of 23/24 season sales and global resiliency, the growing intensity and frequency of extreme weather events and geo-political tensions negatively impacted 24/25 pre-orders. Even if enthusiasm remains high and hotel reservations are promising, everything will depend on the snow level. In Europe, but also in North America and Asia since these regions have become all the more important than Europe is just recovering from the covid years. The number of riding days may, as a consequence of snow scarcity, decrease in favor of other investments or activities depending on private budget. Which explains the shift to splitboarding, both from an individual and brand standpoint. But the splitboard market is a reflection of a geographical shift in the consumption of winter sports equipment, with the vast majority happening in areas that are in close vicinity of the mountains. And the rise of step-in and semi-automatic bindings did not contribute to offset the negative trend since the problem is neither coming from the products, nor from their availability.

With the recent overall price increases, have there been any positive developments in manufacturing, sourcing, or logistics?
We developed a three-season inventory and sales management plan that is monitored every month. Meaning optimized stock distribution across countries, direct shipping from the factories, reduced buying targets, minimized end-of-season discounts, anticipated product availability, therefore development, and rationalized production (ie. managing raw material and scrap inventories to optimize stock monetization and profitability). We haven’t been able to relocate some of our production due to MOQs and raw materials availability across the planet but the factories we work with are as conscious as we are of the need to be flexible, from capacity to country of origin, and lower their environmental impact with the rise of the mass balance approach to accelerate the use of renewable feedstocks in chemical processes. Which allowed us to joint our raw materials purchasing across our factories and access cheaper products. Therefore to reduce our wholesale and retail prices on the associated products, snb bindings in particular. I will add that our Resource Planning (ERP) and Product Lifecycle Mgmt (PLM) softwares are also key to superior development and supply chain management.

What are the major trends you’re seeing with product pricing in the snowboard bindings market?
New cheaper and more environmentally friendly versions of Polyamide (PA) are being tested around the world. Along with the ongoing trend of staying away from varnishes, inks, EVA and glue, the industry should be able to bring the same functionality at a cheaper price for the same margin % and with a much better carbon footprint.

E-commerce Vs. physical retail, how are you balancing both channels?
E-commerce sales are growing, very slowly, with the rise of downgrades, second hands and rental of new or used product offers. But the vast majority of sales are physical.

How are you supporting retailers to sell this category?
Accurate MSRPs, improved margin program, early deliveries, spare parts and last, but not least, size swaps.

What unique brand messages are you focusing on for the 2025/2026 bindings season?
Choose responsibly. From MSRP to margin, quality, durability, low-carbon footprint make, style, delivery, after sales service, assortment and team riders who endorse our products, our bindings program is tight.

Anything new concerning sustainability and related products or construction you would like to highlight?
42% of our bindings integrate 30% of recycled Nylon® and have no varnish coating. All boxes are made with recycled cardboards that can be recycled again. They use single color water-based inks.

Are you planning to focus on a special product range or type of customers?
Our bindings start at 130 euros MSRP for junior models and go up to 865 euros MSRP for splitboard bindings but our biggest demand is that 200 to 240 euros MSRP price range where we offer custom fit and superior ride-ability.

Key Products:

Diva:
Designed for all-mountain freestyle performance. Endorsed by 2024 Natural Selection Tour winner Marion Haerty, the Diva bindings features our women’s-specific 4mm Hi-Heel lift for a natural, powerful stance with increased comfort and control. The 2.5-degree inward cant relieves the stress of wider stances for enhanced leverage and pop, while Elasti-Backs lend a smooth flex and a forgiving feel.

Diva

XV:
Xavier De Le Rue’s signature bindings, the XV delivers power and control for slaying big-mountain terrain. MagneBed S3R footbeds hit the three key receptor points on the foot, sending constant feedback for a precise board feel. The 3-degree canting complements our AsymWrap highbacks offering increased nose and tail pressure for instant power transmission and stability when “almost” isn’t an option.

Cobra:
Powerful, yet nimble like its namesake, the Cobra freestyle binding features Elasti-Back technology, allowing wider freestyle stances, enhanced butter-ability and better shock absorption. A 2.5-degree inward cant relieves the stress of wider stances and provides enhanced nose and tail pressure for improved leverage and pop with some serious freestyle bite.

Cobra