The Swiss company Zimtstern AG will gradually scale back and orderly discontinue its business activities over the course of this year, the company has announced. At the same time, various options are currently being examined as to whether and how the growing bike wear division can be successfully continued. The bike wear for the coming season will be delivered as planned in spring 2018 and will be available from Zimtstern dealers. Zimtstern has been active on the market with men's bike wear since 2010 and added a women's collection in 2012.

The Zimtstern company and brand was integrated into Sports-Pool AG in mid-September 2013. This owner had previously mainly produced and sold ski and snowboard clothing under the Belowzero brand, as well as developing private label concepts.

In the summer of 2014, Thomas Meyer, the founder and CEO of Zimtstern, said goodbye to "his child" after almost twenty years for a generational change at his father's company, Erme AG. Thomas Triet, a long-time companion of Meyer's since 2005, took over as the new CEO of Zimtstern in summer 2014.

Snow sports: declining importance

In recent years, however, Zimtstern has had to realize that it is no longer possible to maintain profitable business operations in the long term due to the tense market situation. Even after numerous cost-cutting efforts in recent years, it has become increasingly difficult to operate profitably, especially in the core business of ski and snowboard clothing. The generally declining importance of snow sports in the domestic market and snowboarding in particular, the strength of the Swiss franc and changes in consumer behavior have ultimately led to the strategic decision to no longer develop and market new collections in the future, Zimtstern announced in a press release.

The eleven employees and specialist retailers were already informed of the decision in late fall 2017. The Zimtstern stores in Lenzerheide, Flims-Dorf, Zurich-Altstetten and Suhr will remain open until spring 2018.

www.zimstern.com