Fresh start at Jack Wolfskin: 'Product must come first'

After about 29 years, outdoor retailer Jack Wolfskin is relocating its headquarters from Idstein near Wiesbaden to Eschborn near Frankfurt am Main. However, the move is merely the outward sign of the profound transformation that the heritage German brand has undergone in recent years.

Since its founding in 1981, the company has changed ownership several times. Most recently, Chinese sportswear group Anta acquired Jack Wolfskin in 2025 from US golf specialist Callaway, which had purchased the brand in early 2019. Anta is also a major shareholder in Amer Sports, whose portfolio includes Arc'teryx, Salomon and Wilson, and recently acquired a 29 percent stake in Puma.

The product portfolio has also evolved over the years. At times, the pawprint logo encompassed very different categories, ranging from cycling and skiing to premium lifestyle. How clearly will Jack Wolfskin be positioned in the future? What new impetus will the new owner bring?

Jason Isenberg, chief marketing officer (CMO) at Jack Wolfskin, explains how the brand plans to sharpen its profile, win back consumer excitement and unlock new growth potential. This includes a clear focus on thru-hiking, which involves hiking a long-distance trail from end to end.

Isenberg, since Anta's acquisition, Jack Wolfskin has been realigning – what is changing and what can Anta do better than previous owners?

Isenberg: Anta is one of the most experienced brand builders in the world. Its portfolio ranges from Arc'teryx, Salomon and Peak Performance to Wilson and its own Anta brand. The company takes a similar approach across these brands. First, it invests in the product and refines the offering. Retail follows next, and only once these foundations are in place is marketing significantly expanded.

I believe this prioritisation is right. The product must come first. Without a compelling product, marketing is an empty promise. At the same time, we must meet the expectations we create around our brand at the point-of-sale. Only then should we talk more extensively about the brand itself.

From my perspective, not much has fundamentally changed in our retail operations so far. We evaluate our locations and sales per store just as we did before, though with a stronger focus on long-term development. There is more capital behind the brand today, which gives us added flexibility.

Ownership changes made things quieter around Jack Wolfskin – how do you plan to bring your brand back into consumer awareness?

Jack Wolfskin has very high brand awareness in Germany. I estimate that more than 95 percent of Germans know the brand. From a marketing perspective, therefore, it is less about increasing awareness further and more about winning back brand excitement. This has not been particularly high in recent years – partly due to strategy shifts and a realignment of our product focus.

We believe in meeting people directly on the trail. One example is our Wolf Trail, a long-distance hike organised together with our athletes. We held five events where participants spent three to four days hiking free of charge. Guides accompanied the groups, everyone sat around the campfire in the evening, and we transported the tents to the next stage destination.

Within a short space of time, we could see perceptions of our brand changing. Many participants told us afterwards that they now view Jack Wolfskin in a completely different light.

Of course, I could invest a lot of money in traditional media, yet I am convinced that we change the perception of our brand when we spend time with our customers and give them access to our resources, our expertise and our athletes.

Does this also reach younger target groups, given that Jack Wolfskin is sometimes perceived as somewhat old-fashioned?

Yes, and that surprised us too. The participants at our events are significantly younger than we expected. Alongside our traditional customers, we are seeing many people in their 20s and 30s. Younger target groups are often more open to trying new experiences and setting off on a multi-day hike with people who are initially strangers.

On Strava, a platform where athletes track their activities, hiking clubs are currently among the fastest-growing club categories. Younger people in particular, including Gen Z and increasingly Gen Alpha, are interested in hiking. I see this with my own children too. Sometimes there is a conscious counter-movement against screen time.

Many outdoor brands previously shifted more towards lifestyle, including Jack Wolfskin – what lessons have you learned from this?

I think we have all learned from it. Coming from Puma, I am familiar with this challenge from the sports sector. A sports or outdoor brand must build its credibility through functional product benefits. Otherwise, it becomes a fashion brand chasing trends. That is dangerous because fashion is subject to strong fluctuations.

Our plan is therefore clear. We are focusing on products with functional added value. Of course, we are delighted when people also wear Jack Wolfskin in a café. However, our starting point and core focus remain functional outdoor products.

What role do own stores play in Germany and other European outdoor regions?

We are planning investments in Munich and Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Garmisch is an important hub for outdoor activities and therefore a relevant location for us. For future stores, we are also looking at locations such as Zurich and Innsbruck. In Germany and Austria, we need to be present where outdoor activities actually take place.

In total, there are currently around 200 Jack Wolfskin stores in Europe. That number has declined slightly of late, much like at many other brands.

How will your new store concept differ from previous approaches?

A Jack Wolfskin store should be a familiar place for hikers. A place where they feel at home. An important element is the equipment area, which I like to call the gear cave. Hikers care about details such as weight, pack size and technical specifications. They want to ask questions, compare products and speak with knowledgeable sales advisors.

The store should therefore be more than just a display space. We want to create an environment that encourages conversation and makes the outdoor experience tangible right inside the shop. To achieve this, we also need the right staff. They should have been out on the trails themselves and used our products. Only then can they explain their benefits credibly.

How do you differentiate Jack Wolfskin from other brands in Anta's portfolio, such as Kolon Sport?

Anta is relatively relaxed about overlaps between its brands. A certain degree of friendly competition within the portfolio is actually encouraged. The brands can benefit from one another while simultaneously challenging each other.

Kolon is not currently present in Europe. Should that change, the brand would be another competitor we would have to contend with.

Trail running is booming and many outdoor brands are focusing on it – is this segment also relevant for Jack Wolfskin?

Yes, trail running is a topic of interest for us. There are no specific product lines yet, though I am confident that we will enter this category in the future.

There is a lot of overlap between thru-hikers and trail runners. Our athletes often participate in both sports. The concept of fastest known time (FKT) – the fastest recorded time on a given route – also connects both communities. Many of these athletes use trail running gear. It therefore makes sense for us to take a closer look at this category.

Which product categories do you plan to cover in future?

Our current range includes backpacks, travel bags and similar products. We do not currently offer tents, though I expect that could change in the near future.

How do you translate your brand strategy to international markets such as China?

Jack Wolfskin is already an established brand in China. Our pawprint logo is very well known, and our Western brand name also gives us an advantage. Western brands are held in high regard there and can convey a special status.

Our Made for Further brand message also works in China. The fundamental motivations for spending time outdoors are similar worldwide. However, we adapt our communication to the respective culture. In China, community plays a greater role. Going hiking with friends and doing something for mental wellbeing are important aspects. In Western markets, we appeal more strongly to the individual.

Many people in Europe associate outdoor gear with mountain sports, whereas in China outdoor apparel is often worn in everyday life, such as when commuting – how do you approach this?

I have been visiting China for around 12 years and have witnessed significant change there. Just five years ago, outdoor activities in nature may not have been in the public consciousness to the same extent as in Europe. However, this has changed rapidly, particularly over the past five years.

We now have four thru-hikers under contract in China as well. They are deployed there in a similar way to our athletes in Europe. The audience responds comparably and interacts with them in a similar manner. The differences between the markets today are smaller than they were just a few years ago.

How do you assess growth prospects for Jack Wolfskin?

The economic situation is challenging both in Europe and globally. The entire outdoor industry is under pressure, and many brands are grappling with similar issues. Added to this is the fact that Jack Wolfskin has not invested sufficiently in the brand in recent years. Our awareness is high, whereas brand excitement has room for improvement.

Nevertheless, we see growth potential. With our products, athletes and activities, we occupy a specific niche that we intend to strengthen further in the future. Competition is intense, and many brands are positioned similarly. We therefore need to differentiate ourselves more clearly and focus more strongly on long-distance hiking, particularly thru-hiking.

Naturally, other brands will also become active in this segment. However, for the first time in many years, Jack Wolfskin is once again taking a pioneering role here. Maintaining our focus will be crucial.

Which regions are central to your growth strategy?

Germany remains our home market and will continue to have top priority. Initially, however, the growth engine is China. Additional earnings from that market are intended to help us reinvest more heavily in our brand in Europe, and particularly in Germany. This phase will likely occupy us over the next three years.

Beyond that, we want to explore a smart re-entry into North America. Europe also offers further opportunities. In South Tyrol, for example, we already have a store and plan to invest more heavily there again. Countries such as Japan or Australia could also be of interest.

However, the priorities are clear – first China, then Germany, followed by North America and finally Europe as a whole.

Many outdoor brands now communicate sustainability more cautiously – has its importance changed at Jack Wolfskin?

Our sustainability efforts have not weakened. On the contrary, I believe we are doing more today than we were three years ago. European standards are becoming stricter, which is fundamentally positive. At the same time, our own ambition to continue developing in this area remains unchanged. We can also benefit from the expertise within the Anta group.

Discussions with consumers, however, show that sustainability rarely ranks among the top five criteria in purchasing decisions. This is partly because many brands make similar claims, making it difficult to differentiate themselves from one another. Price and functionality remain decisive.

Nothing has changed in terms of our activities, then, though the emphasis in our communication has shifted. There, sustainability tends to rank third or fourth, even though we continue to work on it internally.

Will Jack Wolfskin exhibit at Ispo's debut in Amsterdam?

No, we are sitting this year out. We weighed the decision carefully. We did not exhibit over the past two years either and were still able to hold numerous discussions with key wholesale partners – either at their premises or in our showrooms across Europe. Consequently, we did not feel that a trade show offered sufficient added value for us. We will take a look at the new venue and hope to return next year.

However, we do expect to be present at OutDoor in Riva del Garda.