Neoprene crisis survey: no combination under the tree at Christmas?<

“On n’a plus aucun stock de combis’ “. À chaque magasin de surf, la même rengaine. C’est la pénurie. Impossible de mettre la main sur du néoprène, incontournable en surf, body-board, planche ou kite-surf pour résister au froid mordant des rouleaux d’hiver. “On peut essayer de commander, mais ça va prendre du temps”. Assez pour la recevoir à Noël ? “Plutôt pour le deuxième semestre 2022, et encore"".

From Taiwan to Tokyo, all factories are running down and have to face a raw material shortage.At the same time, demand exploded.France: Info Sport rose the neoprene track to historic surf brands, producers, young start-ups and surf shops.All are watching for the arrival of their Santa Claus: a cargo cargo with combis ’thousands of thousands.

A combi 'for Christmas: your mission if you accept it

""It's hell.Many problems are accumulated: the shortage of raw material, the lack of labor and the time of transport that has doubled, ”lists Yann Dalibot, the director of Soöruz, a French surf brand with a full control book butwhich, like the entire sliding industry, struggles to obtain its products.On the websites of surf brands, same observation: the latest models are fighting in duel - size XS or L.

In reality, sliding companies have grown up to 50% to 100% on their combinations sales this year and, on the list at Santa Claus, outdoor sports are in place.""We go out as much products but demand evolves so quickly as it leads to some ruptures"" explains David Martinelly, product engineer at Décathlon.

With the anxiety of the Pandemic of Covid-19 and successive confinements, outdoor sports like surfing arouse a real runaway from the French.“There are both more and more beginners in summer, with Franco-French tourism, and more regular surfers who are in the water 365 days a year, in autumn and winter when there are thebest waves ”, corroborates the French Surf Federation.

An exponential growth of demand, that the industry is struggling to follow.""The influx at Christmas on our website, between November 20 and December 18, is equivalent to 30% of our digital sales of the year.But this year, it's complicated to provide everyone, ""says Stan Bresson, co-founder of Saint Jacques Wetsuits, a French start-up of combinations.Finding a neoprene combination for Christmas, whether one is neophyte or confirmed, has taken on mission tunes impossible.

Late !Santa Claus delivers in containers

The production time of a neoprene combination in the factory, in Thailand or Taiwan, ordinarily rises from three to four months.This winter, he tripled.It is now necessary to plan 12 to 18 months to obtain the precious sesame.“The factories are archi-borders.Inevitably it is a bit of a battle between the brands for deliveries, ”admits Yann Dalibot.

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Another needle in the boot sports industry: the transport time has doubled and the price of freight has exploded.""Christmas is an increase in transport time by 50%, knowing that it is already difficult in time to find space on containers.Maritime routing is catastrophic.We had to turn to air to have our goods at Christmas, but necessarily we lose all our margin, ""suspeces Stan Bresson de Saint Jacques Wetsuits.

Overwhelmed factories, sought -after raw materials

Neoprene, derived from petroleum, limestone or natural rubber, is not produced in France.Everything comes from Asia, mainly from Japan and Taiwan, in advanced factories, which produce this waterproof and flexible fabric.The material is then transformed into a combination in factories across Asia.

Difficult to know the names of the suppliers of surfing brands.The volumes received from neoprene, their variations, their cost, remain the ingredients of a recipe maintained secret in a very competitive market.

But a company concentrates almost 90 % of the manufacture of neoprene products in France.His name: Sheico.The group, based in Taiwan, provides 65% of the world market in technical clothing for water sports and has factories in Cambodia, Vietnam or Thailand.Each year, 35% of its production leaves for Europe and particularly in France.

""During the pandemic and confinements, the popularity of water sports has increased sharply, explains to France: Info Sport Jeff Shiue, Sales Director of the Sheico Group.We must currently adjust our production between the huge demand for combinations and shortages on raw materials essential for the development of products.The most important shortage concerns polychloroprene.(...) We also encourage brands to use more durable and abundant substitution materials, such as natural rubber.""

For its part, Rip Curl has bet on its own factory since 1989. Très implantée dans le milieu du surf, l'entreprise travaille avec “cinq à six producteurs de matière première, dont un avec exclusivité"" et réalise ensuite la manufacture de son produit fini : “C’est un travail manuel de grande précision puisqu’il faut faire des coutures étanches, à l’intérieur du néoprène, pour que l’eau n'entre pas dans la combinaison.Recruit and train therefore takes time.We hired 200 people and increased by 30% our production capacity but even that, that is not enough in the face of exponential demand, "lists Jonathan Ceran, product manager at Rip Curl Europe.

Prices climb...by the chimney

"With the rise in transport, oil and the shortage of products, prices have climbed 10% to 15% in spring," said David Ledan of Sliding-Proshop. ""Lorsque le prix des matières premières et les frais d'expédition ont augmenté fortement au cours de l'année dernière, nous n'avons malheureusement pas eu d'autre choix que de refléter une partie de cette augmentation sur les coûts pour nos clients.(...) Sheico modifiera le prix en conséquence dès que le prix des matières premières sera revenu à la normale"", communique de son côté le géant de l'industrie des sports aquatiques.

The product inflation trend should be confirmed in 2022 because production costs still arise.Without visibility, difficult to decide on a return to normal."I hoped that this would be the case in 2023, but we already know that there will be delay on deliveries.We have completely changed your job.Before, we had an order then we launched the production.Now we launch production, then we sell.We have simplified ranges, with classics in stock ”, adds Yann Dalibot.

In this uncertain context, everyone adapts as they can.The coronavirus crisis shakes up the entire skiing industry.This time, all are waiting for the wave to pass.