The ski equipment market - Portugal

Skiing equipment is equipment used for the practice of board sports for personal use. The scope of this study therefore includes all ski equipment in the broadest sense of the term. Cross-country skiing, downhill skiing and snowboarding will be taken into account, and only ski clothing will be excluded. One of the main long-term trends in this market is the growing share of equipment rental as opposed to purchase. The latter is now in the minority among ski equipment retailers. In a fragmented market, manufacturers have to compete with each other to combine new materials and technologies at affordable prices. Traditional" ski manufacturers are gradually being overtaken by general sporting goods manufacturers such as Decathlon and Go Sport. Contrary to popular belief, Portugal does have ski resorts. In fact, one of the most famous is at Serra da Estrela, in the Guarda district, at a maximum altitude of 1993 meters. The low cost of tourism in the country, compared to other European countries, shows an interesting comparative advantage in the practice of this sport in the country. Despite this, equipment sales in Portugal are largely dominated by large international players who can offer lower prices to both amateur and professional consumers.