Blackside

What Blackside does

Black Side is a privately-held, single-location mountain concept store headquartered at the Galerie Marchande FORUM in Flaine, France (74300), directly facing the Le Bouquetau artwork by Jean Dubuffet. The business operates under the trade name "Black Side Flaine" and consolidates four revenue streams into one retail footprint: ski, snowboard, touring-ski, and snowshoe rental (usage-based); sale of skis, snowboards, bindings, technical apparel, helmets, goggles, and accessories including curated brands such as Superdry, OAKLEY, and Arpin (one-time transactions); a café-restaurant with a Licence IV offering 100% homemade cuisine, desserts, and signature après-ski cocktails, with ~20 indoor seats and a heated covered outdoor terrace (transactional F&B); and bootfitting, adjustment, and equipment-customization services (professional services). The MoonBikes electric snowbike rental rounds out the activity offering as a differentiated product line.

The company does not develop any proprietary technology platform or digital product. Distribution is anchored in the single physical storefront, supplemented by phone and email reservations (general contact [email protected], +33 (0)4 50 90 83 06; reservations [email protected]) and a self-service online booking channel enabled through its partnership with NetSki. Black Side serves two primary segments: ski and snowboard enthusiasts visiting the Flaine resort seeking rental, purchase, or fitting services, and broader mountain-lifestyle visitors seeking the café-restaurant experience.

The go-to-market motion is direct-to-consumer and emphasizes in-person, skill-level-tailored advisory service and equipment fitting, with the NetSki platform positioned as a secondary self-service option. Marketing is concentrated on TripAdvisor earned media (the restaurant is ranked among Flaine's best tables), organic social presence on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and direct referrals from repeat and word-of-mouth customers. Ownership is not disclosed; the company describes itself as an independent operation, with a self-reported 97.74% customer satisfaction rate. No funding, M&A, app, or independent digital product footprint is evident.

Name

Blackside

Legal name

Black Side

Website

https://blackside.fr

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Black Side is a privately-held, single-location mountain concept store in Flaine Forum, France, combining premium ski and snowboard rentals and sales, curated technical apparel, bootfitting services, and a homemade-cuisine café-restaurant for resort visitors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mountain Sports Retail and Rental

NAICS

Recreational Goods Rental (532284), Full-Service Restaurants (722511)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Misc General Merchandise Stores (5399), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Winter Equipment Rental, Demo & Repair (Skis/Boards/Boots, Tuning) (THAAAJAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Climbing & Mountaineering Gear Retail (CRAMAAAB)

Keywords

• Ski equipment rental
• Snowboard rental services
• Mountain concept store
• Ski bootfitting services
• Technical apparel retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Flines-lès-raches

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Equipment Rental: Rental of ski equipment, snowboards, touring skis, snowshoes, and electric MoonBikes. Revenue is generated on a per-use basis with flexible booking options (in-store, email, or via NetSki platform).
2. Equipment Sales: Sale of skis, snowboards, bindings, technical clothing, helmets, goggles, gloves, and accessories. One-time transaction-based sales.
3. Café & Restaurant: Café-restaurant operation with Licence IV, offering 100% homemade lunch cuisine and desserts, signature cocktails, and après-ski beverages. Revenue generated through food and beverage sales with indoor seating for ~20 guests and a heated outdoor terrace.
4. Bootfitting & Personalization Services: Bootfitting, adjustments, settings, comfort optimization, and equipment customization services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Black Side is a single-location mountain concept store in Flaine Forum, France, offering premium ski and snowboard rental, electric MoonBikes snowbike rental, technical clothing and equipment sales (skis, snowboards, bindings, helmets, goggles, gloves, apparel), professional bootfitting and equipment customization, and a Licence IV café-restaurant serving 100% homemade lunch cuisine and signature après-ski cocktails. The business unifies retail, rental, and hospitality services under one roof, with bookings accepted by phone, email, in-store, or via the NetSki online platform.

Product overview

Black Side is a single-location mountain concept store in Flaine Forum, France, offering a unified retail and rental experience. The business operates as a unified concept combining premium ski & snowboard equipment rental, technical clothing and equipment sales, electric MoonBikes snowbike rentals, and a café-restaurant with a Licence IV. Services include bootfitting, equipment customisation, and online booking via the Netski platform. The company focuses on personalised customer service with in-store bookings and direct contact.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ski & Snowboard Rental Premium ski, snowboard, touring ski, and snowshoe rental service for resort visitors, offering personalized equipment selection based on customer skill level with bootfitting, adjustments, and customization.
• MoonBikes Electric Snowbike Rental Rental of MoonBikes, the first 100% electric, ultra-light snowbike, providing fast, quiet, and reliable electric mountain mobility for resort visitors in Flaine.
• Technical Clothing & Equipment Sales

Quantifiable outcome

• 97.74% of Black Side customers report being satisfied with their experience.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• NetSkicoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBlack Side partners with NetSki to provide an online equipment rental booking platform, allowing customers to reserve ski, snowboard, and other equipment independently via the NetSki website. This channel partnership enables Black Side to reach self-service customers while its team remains available in-store for equipment adjustments.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Ski Republic: French ski rental specialist with a strong online booking platform and physical store presence in major French resorts. Comparable to Black Side in target customer, equipment rental focus, and premium service positioning in Flaine-area resorts.
• Skiset: Large French and European ski rental network operating across multiple resorts with standardized equipment rental offerings. Directly comparable to Black Side as a ski and snowboard rental provider serving resort visitors with similar product categories.
• Sport 2000: Cooperative sporting goods and ski rental retailer with widespread French resort presence. Directly comparable to Black Side in offering ski equipment rental, technical apparel, and accessories to resort visitors.
• NetSki: Online ski rental booking platform aggregating multiple French and European ski shops. Black Side is itself a NetSki partner, and NetSki represents the digital channel through which Black Side reaches self-service customers — making it a directly comparable channel and partial competitor.
• Precision Ski: Premium ski and snowboard rental chain operating in high-end French and Swiss resorts. Comparable to Black Side in target customer (premium resort visitors), equipment focus, and service-led rental model.

Broad incumbents

• Intersport: Large international sporting goods retailer with significant ski equipment rental and apparel operations in French resorts. Comparable to Black Side as a broader incumbent offering overlapping rental, apparel, and equipment categories alongside a much larger portfolio.
• Decathlon: Global sporting goods retailer with strong ski and snowboard equipment, apparel, and accessory assortments. Comparable to Black Side as a broad sporting goods retailer, though Black Side specializes in premium resort-facing curation.
• La Folie Douce: Iconic French ski resort après-ski restaurant and entertainment concept operating in multiple resorts. Comparable to Black Side's Flaine café-restaurant as a mountain hospitality concept combining dining, cocktails, and ski resort foot traffic.

Emerging players

• MoonBikes: Manufacturer of the first 100% electric ultra-light snowbike. Black Side is a Flaine rental partner for MoonBikes, making MoonBikes both a supplier and an adjacent emerging category peer offering differentiated winter mountain mobility.

Others

• Arpin: Heritage French maker of technical mountain clothing and accessories, featured in Black Side's curated apparel assortment. Comparable as a supplier partner whose brand identity and target customer overlap with Black Side's technical apparel offering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/blacksideflaine
• Facebookfacebook.com/BlackSideFlaine
• Instagraminstagram.com/blackside74000
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/blackside

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Blackside