112 WHAT'S THE STORY IN WOMEN WE TRUST
“WE STILL HAVE ENORMOUS POTENTIAL”
Ulli Ehrlich represents the second generation at the helm of Sportalm Kitzbühel.
Are one’s own roots really always a blessing? The Sportalm Kitzbühel brand has its roots in the traditional costume and skiwear segments, yet it still successfully established itself as an international fashion house. MD Ulli Ehrlich and Stephan Huber, the Editor-in-Chief of style in progress, took the company’s 65th anniversary as an opportunity to talk about achievements, future goals, and what it takes to run a business as a woman and a mother of five. Interview: Stephan Huber. Text: Nicoletta Schaper. Photos: Volksbank Tirol/Berger, Sportalm
15 years ago, you started establishing Sportalm Kitzbühel as a fashion brand outside the limiting boundaries of traditional costumes and skiwear. Was the decision born out of necessity?
Ulli Ehrlich, MD of Sportalm Kitzbühel: Taking such a courageous step was rather born out of an intuitive instinct in combination with the necessary impartiality. If we had thought about it more carefully and commissioned marketing studies, we probably would have decided against such a move and would never have come as far as we have. Naturally, we are very pleased that we have succeeded in bringing a unique style to the world.
318 style in progress
How does a comparatively small family business manage to do this?
Our great strength is our sense of values. Our own production facility allows us to manufacture in Europe and to stand for sustainability. Consumers are becoming ever more sensitive in that respect. That gives us the requisite know-how for the future. Are your brand’s roots in the traditional costume and skiwear segments a hurdle, especially as a brand based in Kitzbühel?
It can be a hurdle if the origin implies that our fashion is all about boiled wool and loden. Initially, that was only a hurdle in the German-speaking markets. Today, we stand for a unique design language. We only know how to be Sportalm and we don’t desire to be anything else. We cannot deny our DNA, especially as skiwear and traditional costumes still account for 30 percent and 10 percent of our sales respectively. Our strongest foothold is the fashion that is successful on an international level. In the Czech Republic, for instance, we were immediately perceived as a cool brand without being reduced to the traditional costume topic. What benefits the brand in the long run is the general trend towards sportiness and functionality.
Our know-how allows us to combine fashion and function authentically. Other fashion brands find that difficult or even impossible to achieve. It goes without saying that a Sportalm parka needs to endure wind, rain, and snow. During a training session in our showroom, one of the attending sales assistants argued that the down jacket by brand XY is much softer. I explained that it’s softer because it lacks functionality. As soon as you upgrade nylon technologically, it gains stiffness. He understood that immediately; it was a real eye-opener for him. Was the path to success beset with challenges?
We struggled with the economic difficulties in the Russian market. After all, that market is especially important to us. At the same time, we lost a major retail customer when Sport Eybl filed for insolvency in 2014. We need to thank my father Wilhelm Ehrlich and his conservative financial policy for the fact that these two events didn’t endanger the existence of Sportalm. We then scrutinised all our costs, analysed our markets, and - of course - optimised our collection. That brought us back on track. What are your self-declared goals?
We still have enormous potential, both in existing markets and in future ones. My vi-
