Melchers and Wintersteiger Igniting the Passion for Ice and Snow
Since the successful hosting of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, China’s ice and snow sports and market have experienced a remarkable surge. The goal of “engaging 300 million people in ice and snow activities” has been met, with 22.13% of the population, or 313 million individuals taking part. Ice and snow sports have seamlessly become a trendy and fashionable athletic pursuit across China. In the wake of the Winter Olympics, the landscape of ice and snow events has blossomed with diversity, encompassing not only high-caliber professional competitions but also a burgeoning number of amateur contests, further fueling the prosperity of the ice and snow market.
Behind this thriving scene of ice and snow sports lies the essential engagement of Wintersteiger. In 2010, Melchers entered into a strategic cooperation with Wintersteiger, taking on the core responsibility of sales and after-sales service for Wintersteiger’s sports products throughout China. As a long-established European trading company with almost 220 years of history, Melchers is firmly committed to providing reliable and professional service support for its global partners’ forays into the Asian market. Since establishing its first office in Hong Kong in 1866, Melchers has successfully leveraged its extensive trading expertise across multiple business sectors to facilitate the expansion of global brands into the Asian market. Guided by the noble mission of safeguarding the interests of its customers, it provides tailor-made solutions that underpin the creation of sustainable value.
Product Highlights
The collaboration between Melchers and Wintersteiger in promoting products in the ice and snow industry is both profound and far-reaching. The product portfolio includes state-of-the-art ski service equipment and highly efficient ski equipment rental systems.
Jupiter represents a cutting-edge, fully automatic ski repair and processing apparatus. It is engineered to deliver highly personalized solutions that comprehensively address every conceivable customer requirement. Its five meticulously designed ski repair modules, three versatile feed modes, and three-tiered repair applications can be artfully configured to fulfill a diverse range of ski repair needs. The revolutionary V-Edge technology, which employs ceramic discs for grinding the side and base edges of the skis, ensures precise and seamless edge angles. This technological marvel deftly combines the skis’ exceptional grip capabilities with effortless maneuverability, presenting an exhilarating solution for both avid skiing enthusiasts and elite competitive athletes. This functionality not only amplifies the joys of skiing but also enhances safety.
Thanks to its precision-engineered data collection and application mechanisms, Wintersteiger ski rental system streamlines the snow boot selection process, making it faster and more user-friendly. Consequently, staff can allocate more time to providing highly personalized care services to customers. For clients, this translates into fewer fitting trials and expedited access to the perfect snow boots, enabling them to promptly and smoothly embark on their desired ski slopes.
Since 2023, Melchers has also introduced BOOTDOC functional insoles and the devices to analyze the feet, ski boot molding equipment, HOTRONIC heating socks into the Chinese market. These professional-grade ice and snow sports products are adept at providing customized solutions for athletes. By virtue of their enhanced foot support and prolonged thermal retention properties, athletes can achieve more favorable competition outcomes.
Partnership Highlights
The collaborative journey between Melchers and Wintersteiger has been a testament to the growth trajectory of European ice and snow industry brands in the Asian market. From the installation of the first Wintersteiger fully automatic ski repair equipment Discovery 2 in China in 2020 to the deployment of four Wintersteiger ski maintenance equipment sets during the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, it vividly showcases the brand’s escalating influence in the Asian market. Currently, two domestic institutions endowed with ski quality inspection credentials, namely the Harbin Sports Bureau and the Hebei Quality Inspection Institute, are equipped with Wintersteiger Safetronic binding release torque detection and adjustment equipment. In 2025, an even greater array of equipment will be enlisted to serve the Harbin Asian Winter Games. This uninterrupted official cooperation not only epitomizes the affirmation of Wintersteiger product quality but also exemplifies Melchers’ unwavering commitment to facilitating its partners’ development in Asia.
In October 2024, Ines Daneke (Product Manager at Melchers Techexport GmbH) attended the International Winter Sports (Beijing) Expo. She gave a keynote speech at the panel discussion “Sustaining the Passion for Ice and Snow – How to Keep the Ice and Snow Boom” and was interviewed by the China Radio International German Channel (CRI), where she gave a detailed account of the challenges and future plans for Wintersteiger products in the promising Chinese market.
Partnership Outlook
2024 Research Report on the Development of China’s Ice and Snow Industry unveiled at the opening ceremony of the 2024 International Winter Sports (Beijing) Expo predicts that the scale of the ice and snow industry will surpass $143 billion in 2025. The vibrant development of the ice and snow industry in China is the culmination of the concerted efforts of Melchers and Wintersteiger. Against the backdrop of the growing enthusiasm for ice and snow tourism, the continuous development of professional event commercialization and the widespread popularization of ice and snow sports, it is firmly believed that Melchers and Wintersteiger will be able to generate even more intense market interest in China’s ice and snow industry sector.
Behind every ice and snow sport activity and professional event competition, Wintersteiger is steadfastly committed to the safety of the athletes, while meticulously crafting an experience that exceeds expectations in every conceivable detail. As a committed participant and catalyst in this field, Melchers takes great pride. In line with the government’s proactive policy to develop ice and snow sports and strengthen the industry, Melchers will continue to expand and enhance the Chinese market in partnership with Wintersteiger. Together, they aim to make a lasting impact on China’s vibrant ice and snow landscape.
