American skiwear brand Halfdays has expanded its online portal into the Australian and New Zealand market, marking its official launch in the region.
The womenswear brand was founded in Denver, Colorado in 2020 by three women - Ariana Ferwerda, Karelle Golda and Kiley McKinnon - as a direct-to-consumer (DTC) skiwear brand.
The brand has since added hiking gear such as outerwear, fleeces and lightweight jackets to its overall range, and expanded into wholesale.
Halfdays is sold in around a dozen retailers in North America - including Nordstrom and Bloomingdale’s - with the majority of its retail presence in large US cities such as New York, Chicago and Los Angeles.
The snow range includes parkas, jackets and pants, with accessories across both snow and hiking.
McKinnon, who is also an American freestyle skier, said the trio has always had its eyes on an ANZ expansion.
“Now that Halfdays has expanded into all-season outdoor apparel with our recent spring launch, we can also offer the ANZ consumer year-round apparel,” she said.
“Launching in the Southern Hemisphere allows us to bring stylish and technical outdoor apparel to a customer segment of women who want to feel included and be welcomed in the outdoor industry.
“I’ve competed alongside Australian athletes and spent some time in beautiful Australia myself – I knew expanding our brand to a place so immersed in the outdoors would be a seamless transition for Halfdays.”
Halfdays CEO Ferwerda said the brand will initially be available via its online channel in ANZ, but from 2024 it expects wholesale to be a key channel in the region.
“Beyond this first winter season, we plan to expand into a variety of retailers for major cities across the ANZ markets,” Ferwerda said.
“Although we are not exploring wholesale until 2024, we have had outreach from a handful of Australian retail doors.”
Ferwerda added that launching in a new market always poses unique challenges.
“Many of them are operational – including international accounts and registrations, taxes and import fees, shipping, and more,” she said. “However, we’ve been lucky to work with a variety of international commerce partners that have helped make the process seamless.
“More specifically as a ski wear brand, launching into Australia has posed a variety of market size questions. While plenty of research exists, the market is considerably smaller than North America, and skiing, in general, is always at the mercy of winter conditions.”
Unlike existing outdoor wear retailers in ANZ, Ferwerda said Halfdays has an entirely women-first approach at technical ski gear.
“We’re bringing products to market that are fashion-forward, technical, and incredibly well-fitting, through a community-driven and inclusive approach,” Ferwerda said. “Legacy brands in the outdoor and snow space tend to take a ‘hardcore’ approach to their product, which can reinforce a perceived intimidation factor for so many women that are new to skiing.
“We actively provide education, technical gear, and a community for women to feel more empowered to get on the mountain.”