State of the industry: views from the global trade

A fresh approach in a competitive market

One sector where business is undoubtedly tough at present is optics. A host of new companies have recently entered the space making things highly competitive, as well as creating a technological arms race with fast-moving developments in digital imaging. Some brands have managed to stay on the treadmill; others have found it hard. And then there are some that have taken the opportunity to push the reset button and attack the market with renewed focus and a more efficient and aligned strategy, such as the well-known Czech brand Meopta.

“These are very exciting times for Meopta,” says Joe Sinclair, the company’s Business Unit Manager for Military and Sport Hunting Optics. “We’ve undergone a lot of changes in the last few years in terms of ownership and also internally – we have had a lot of very good growth in other areas for optics, which is shaping our business and sending us in new directions. On the sport optics side, we’ve got some further changes coming, which we’re very much looking forward to.”

“Yes, we do use external supply chains, which allow us to achieve the best quality at a sensible price, but we also need to remind people that all of our research and development, design, and perhaps most importantly, quality control is done in-house in the Czech Republic. Nothing goes into a box with a Meopta logo on it unless we are completely satisfied that it delivers the quality people expect from us.  

“You can expect to see a concerted marketing push from us in the future – we are ready to re-engage with our customers and partners in the industry – and being here at IWA is the starting point for doing that.” 

Managing expectations as a prestige brand

A clear trend in the industry at present is that no company can afford to be complacent, even if it is a brand that has worked its way to become one of the most well-renowned in its sector. At least that’s the way German shotgun brand Krieghoff views things. Despite having a strong position in the market and healthy sales, the company is aware of the challenges and is constantly seeking new ways to move forward.

Another high-end shotgun brand on the show floor at IWA was Italian company Fausti Arms. As a long-standing exhibitor, the company has been attending the show for many years and holds a dominant position in the high-end shotgun market. The company still believes in the importance of shows such as IWA to help reinforce its message.  

“IWA is an important place to present new products to the European market, says the company’s Barbara Fausti. “We have been exhibiting at the show for a very long time. In general, the United States is our main market, but of course, we also have a strong presence in Europe, and this is one of the reasons we like IWA. It has always been a reference point for the European market. After the pandemic, the situation around exhibitions has changed a little bit, but we still believe in IWA, and we have already booked for next year. We hope the show can continue to get better and better.”