Kari Traa as in Canada

Abstract

Since its inception in 2002, Kari Traa AS, created by the Olympic skier Kari Traa, has experienced great success. Starting out with just toques, it now has an extensive product line. It has become the market leader for base layers in Scandinavia, and its products are now sold in 11 countries. Kari Traa AS is in now the planning phase of entering the Canadian market. The aim of this report is to examine the market potential for Kari Traa AS in Canada; for this, the team has developed the following research question: “Is it possible and attractive for KT to introduce its main products (wool base layers, technical base layers, toques, headbands and neckbands, socks, fleece and outerwear) to the Canadian market, and if so, which are the most suitable entry strategies”. When starting, NorCan Consulting had limited prior knowledge of the Canadian market. To answer the research problem, it was therefore necessary to perform both primary and secondary research. After an introduction and internal scan of Kari Traa AS, the report describes external factors that the company needs to be aware of when entering Canada. Further, the report provides insight into the Canadian market in terms of retailing trends, and the snowsport market. In addition, the results from the team’s survey are presented, and KT’s direct competitors are analysed. Based on this, the team made an estimation of the market size. The internal and external scan are then reviewed in a situation summary. Finally, a strategy is developed for a nationwide entry, and marketing tactics Kari Traa AS can use, are proposed. The team believes Kari Traa AS’ products will be attractive in the Canadian market, since they differentiate themselves from the competitors. The entry strategy the team proposed for Kari Traa AS is to sign a license-agreement. The team sees this as the most suitable option for Kari Traa AS.