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He says: “Visible technologies don’t come around very often, so they are very important. Look what the introduction of Air did for Nike. “With Thermal Insulation, Thermal Reflective and Thermal Electric we will redefine what the consumer expects from garments to keep them warm.”


Columbia Sportswear is also adding baselayer products to its range, which utilise the


by a strong sales support ethos, with partners able to order online, talk to service teams and receive visits from technical reps.


Trapp says: “We have undergone a big sea-change


towards innovation in the last three years. We are not targeting ourselves as an elite brand, but nor are we aiming at the discount end of the market.


Omni-Heat Thermal Reflective is an aluminium dot lining that is applied to the fabric and increases heat retention by 20 per cent. It works on the same principle as space blankets as used by marathon runners, but is only applied in key areas, only 35-40 per cent of the garment in some cases and combined with highly breathable fabrics to stop overheating. An added benefit Trapp notes to Thermal Reflective is that it also acts as a conductor, so regulates heat to keep the body at a constant temperature.


Omni-Heat Thermal Electric employs rechargeable battery packs to provide heat on demand. Three


temperature setting are available, while the batteries can be removed to allow the garment to be watched. Thermal Electric is already available on four boot styles, which will be increased to five. It will also be made available in six jacket models, and one style of glove. The last two are particularly important to Trapp, as they are visible technologies.


“We know that consumers still want the best products in the marketplace and want to see innovation, and we are trying to educate consumers to the value in our brand. “Likewise, we are working to educate retailers to help them sell better products better. It’s a big focus for us and we are investing a lot of time and money in getting the message out.”


Thermal Reflective technology applied strategically using body mapping to provide insulation in key areas and prevent overheating in others. Baselayers are an area where Columbia


Sportswear has not had a presence for a while, but Thermal Reflective has allowed it to bring an


innovation to the market. “We’ve


been working on the product for a long time. We wanted to bring something new to the market as baselayer market growth is driven by


innovation. We saw this with


compression, and hope temperature regulation will have a similar impact,” says Trapp. These product developments will be supported


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