Rossignol and Dynastar Do Pro Sales Right

In late 2008, as part of their effort to drive additional customers and sales to specialty retailers, Rossignol and Dynastar unveiled a unique, progressive pro sales program. Working with Shopatron, the leading provider of retailer-integrated eCommerce solutions, Rossignol and Dynastar crafted an online pro sales platform that directs pro purchases from their own branded websites to participating retailers for fulfillment.

These pro sales increase the retailer’s sales directly, and often lead to the formation of a relationship between the pro and the specialty retailer. This newfound relationship frequently leads to ongoing sales as well as increased retailer promotions within a key market segment.

For the 2009 season to-date, Rossignol and Dynastar’s pro website sales have increased 55% over sales for the same time last year. Due to the program’s growing success, the company continues to add participating “Pro Specialist” dealers to their pro sales group. This is a “win-win” for everyone as it provides an opportunity for both the brand and retailers to build relationships with the most influential people on the slopes.

“We started this program to promote both our products and our specialty retailers to the pro community at the same time. One of our primary goals was to prove that you can include specialty retailers in a successful pro sales process,” said Tait Wardlaw, Vice President of Marketing for the company. “As we enter the second season, even in a tighter economy, sales and participation have increased. The results to-date show that this is a successful program for the pros, the retailers and our brands.”

Shopatron's Senior Vice President of Marketing, Mark Grondin, concurs. “This pro sales model has been so successful for both the brands and the retailers involved that we have several clients launching this type of program. Just because pro sales are discounted, doesn’t mean the brand has to compete with their retailers. Rather it provides another opportunity for brands to send sales to their dealers.”

“As more manufacturers recognize the importance of integrating their retailers into the pro sales cycle,” Grondin states, “we expect the Shopatron-based, dealer fulfillment pro sales concept to become an industry standard.”

The positive response from participating retailers further validates the success of the program.

“This program has made my life so much easier for servicing the industry professionals,” said Michael Hermann of Interstate Mountain Company. “This has become an important income layer in my business.”

Joel Anderson of Sturtevant's Sports fulfills pro orders for both the Rossignol and Dynastar brands. “I have 20 years in the pro sports business and this is the best platform by far,” stated Anderson. “I wish all the hard-good sports manufacturers would get on board. This program puts more margin in the dealers pockets and has definitely created customers for us that we may never have had in the past.”

About Shopatron
Shopatron, Inc., the leading provider of global eCommerce solutions for consumer goods industries, allows its merchants to engage consumers with a fantastic experience, from shopping through fulfillment. Orders placed on Shopatron merchant websites are filled by a managed, distributed network of fulfillment partners, typically local retailers. Local fulfillment speeds delivery, motivates fulfillment partners to stock more inventory, and facilitates In-Store Pickup, a convenience valued by a majority of online shoppers.

Headquartered in San Luis Obispo, CA, Shopatron operates Coex Freedom, an order exchange with more than 600 merchants and 10,000 fulfillment partners across 35 consumer products industries. Some of Shopatron's merchant clients include Berkley Fishing, Brooks Running, Callaway Golf, D'Addario, Johnson Outdoors, Mammut, MK Diamond, Nordica, Panasonic, Spy Optic, Stearns, and Thule. For more information and a full client list, visit ecommerce.shopatron.com.

About Rossignol and Dynastar
The Rossignol Group, the parent company of the Rossignol, Dynastar, Lange and Look brands, is the world’s leader in ski and snowboard equipment. The Rossignol Group also holds a 27 percent market share of the in-line ski retail market in the U.S. Rossignol, Dynastar and Lange have taken a leadership role in re-defining how on-hill pros, retailers and suppliers work together to place vector products with influencers on the slopes across North America.