Strolz

What Strolz does

Strolz is a premium sports, fashion, and ski-equipment retail and rental business operating five physical locations in the Lech am Arlberg and Zürs resort cluster in Vorarlberg, Austria. Its product portfolio centers on (i) custom-fitted Strolz Ski Boots, a heritage product invented by founder Ambros Strolz in 1921 and manufactured using 3D foot/leg scanning, foam-lining fitting, and individualized shell/liner assembly delivered through a two-appointment customer journey, and (ii) tiered rental of skis, snowboards, ski boots, touring and cross-country skis, plus summer mountain bikes and e-bikes. Adjacent services include professional ski/snowboard grinding and waxing performed at a central Filomena service center, ISO 11088-compliant binding adjustment, ski depot overnight storage with hotel delivery, and alteration tailoring. A seven-floor flagship Sporthaus in Lech functions as a curated luxury fashion destination.

The business operates direct-to-consumer through owned physical shops and an online booking platform (www.strolz.at) supporting individual reservations, group bookings for parties of 10 or more, and gift voucher ecommerce. Pricing is Euro-denominated and tiered (Economy/Premium/Superior rental categories with corresponding €150-€450 theft deductibles), with theft insurance waivers, ISO binding safety adjustments, and pay-as-you-go billing cadence. The customer base is primarily affluent international ski tourists (USA, UK, Germany, Austria, Australia) supplemented by local residents and performance-focused skiers seeking custom boot solutions.

Following a 2024 transaction, Sport Bründl Gesellschaft m.b.H. (Kaprun, Austria; CEO Christoph Bründl, family ownership 90%/10%) acquired all Strolz GmbH Vorarlberg locations, the strolz.at domain, and related social media accounts and continues to operate the business under the STROLZ brand. The Strolz GmbH legal entity remains registered but no longer independently operates the shops. Revenue, headcount, and detailed financials are not publicly disclosed, and no venture or institutional capital is referenced in the available data.

Name

Strolz

Legal name

Sport Bründl Gesellschaft m.b.H.

Website

https://strolz.at

Company type

Private

Founded year

1921

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Strolz is an Austrian premium sports, fashion, and ski-equipment retailer and rental operator running five shops in Lech am Arlberg and Zürs, serving affluent international ski tourists with custom-fitted Strolz ski boots, tiered equipment rental, professional ski service, and curated luxury fashion.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ski Equipment Retail and Rental

NAICS

Shoe Retailers (45821), Recreational Goods Rental (532284)

SIC

Footwear, (No Rubber) (3140)

akta.pro primary industry

Ski & Snowboard Equipment Retail (Skis, Boards, Boots, Bindings, Poles) (CRAMAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ski & Snowboard Rental & Demo Shops (CRAMAJAE), Ski & Snowboard Service & Repair Shops (Tuning, Mounting, Boot Fitting) (CRAMAJAF), Ski & Snowboard Apparel Retail (Outerwear, Base Layers, Gloves, Socks) (CRAMAJAB)

Keywords

• Ski equipment rental
• Custom ski boots
• Winter sports retail
• Alpine fashion
• Ski boot fitting

Headquarters

HQ city

Lech

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Retail Sales - Sports and Fashion: Sale of winter sportswear, sports equipment, fashion items, accessories, and lifestyle products across multiple branded stores. The Sporthaus Strolz is described as the most exclusive sports and fashion store on the Arlberg, spanning seven floors offering the latest designer items and season's hottest brands.
2. Equipment Rental: Rental of winter sports equipment (skis, snowboards, ski boots, touring skis, cross-country skis) and summer equipment (bikes, e-bikes). Rental categories include Economy, Premium, and Superior tiers. Equipment can be booked online or in-store, with options for next-day return without additional charge if returned before 10:00 AM.
3. Ski Service and Repair: Professional ski and snowboard service including grinding, waxing, repairs, and binding adjustment. All rental skis and snowboards are serviced after each return. Service center operates at the Filomena location with modern machinery.
4. Custom Ski Boots: Custom-manufactured Strolz ski boots tailored to individual foot measurements using a two-appointment fitting process with 3D scanning and foam lining technology.
5. Gift Vouchers: Sale of gift vouchers ( Wertgutscheine ) available in printed or digital PDF format, redeemable for all products and services. Vouchers are valid for five years from issue date.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Strolz operates premium sports and fashion retail and rental services across five shops in the Lech/Zürs Arlberg region of Austria. The company sells and rents ski and snowboard equipment in three quality tiers (Economy, Premium, Superior), manufactures and fits custom Strolz ski boots using 3D scanning and foam lining technology, provides ski and snowboard service and repair, offers ski depot overnight storage, and retails exclusive fashion and lifestyle brands across a seven-floor flagship store. Summer operations include mountain bike and e-bike rental.

Product overview

Strolz is a premium sports and fashion retail and rental company operating five shops in the Arlberg region of Austria (Lech and Zürs). The company offers a portfolio of products centered on winter sports equipment (skiing, snowboarding, cross-country, and touring), summer biking, and fashion. Core products include custom-fitted Strolz Ski Boots (a heritage brand dating to 1921) and equipment rental services across multiple categories (Economy, Premium, Superior). Related services include professional ski/snowboard service, custom boot fitting with 3D scanning technology, ski depots with overnight storage, bike rental and service, voucher programs, and group booking capabilities. The company operates an online rental platform for equipment reservations. The product architecture is retail-and-rental focused rather than SaaS, with no API or third-party integration ecosystem.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Strolz Ski Boots Made-to-measure ski boots individually assembled using 3D foot and leg scanning technology, custom foam lining (Schäumtermin), and individualized shell and liner configuration. Requires a two-appointment fitting process. Designed for serious skiers seeking optimal comfort and performance.
• Ski and Snowboard Rental Rental service offering skis, snowboards, ski boots, snowboard boots, cross-country skis, touring skis, helmets, poles, protectors, sledges, and accessories in three quality tiers: Economy, Premium, and Superior. Available online and in-store with next-day pickup and free category exchanges across shops.
• Ski and Snowboard Service Professional ski and snowboard maintenance including grinding, waxing, and repairs performed at the central Filomena service center. All rental equipment is serviced after each return.
• Ski Boots Fitting Custom ski boot fitting service including 3D foot and leg scanning, foot misalignment analysis, supportive measures such as custom insoles, and personalized shell and liner configuration. Two-appointment process with approximately 4 hours of processing time.
• Ski Depots Overnight ski and equipment storage with professional care and maintenance, including hotel delivery service. Included with equipment rental.
• Bike Rental Summer season bicycle rental including mountain bikes, e-bikes, and kids bikes available at Strolz Bikecenter in Lech am Arlberg.
• Bike Service Bicycle maintenance and repair services for rented and customer-owned bikes at Strolz Bikecenter.
• Vouchers Gift vouchers available in printed or digital PDF format, redeemable for all Strolz products and services. Valid for five years from issue date.
• Group Booking Coordinated equipment rental service for groups of 10 or more people, available via the online platform or Excel spreadsheet booking.
• Online Rental Platform Web-based booking system at www.strolz.at for reserving equipment, purchasing vouchers, and managing rental transactions. Generates booking confirmations and routes reservations to the appropriate shop. Supports online bookings up to 48 hours in advance.
• Sports and Fashion Retail Retail of winter sportswear, sports equipment, fashion items, accessories, and lifestyle products across the seven-floor Sporthaus Strolz flagship store and the Zürs retail location. Offers exclusive designer brands and seasonal collections curated by an in-house purchasing team, with on-site alteration and tailoring services.

Quantifiable outcome

• Equipment can be exchanged free of charge within booked category across all rental shops
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Sport Bründl Gesellschaft m.b.H.coreOthersSport Bründl Gesellschaft m.b.H. (Nikolaus-Gassner-Straße 4, 5710 Kaprun) acquired all Strolz locations from Strolz GmbH (FN 633064b, Dorf 116, 6764 Lech). The acquisition included all Vorarlberg locations for sale of sports and fashion articles, ski service and ski rental operations, the website www.strolz.at, and related social media accounts. Sport Bründl continues to operate the business under the STROLZ brand. CEO: Christoph Bründl. Shareholders: Christoph Bründl (90%), Bernhard Bründl (10%).

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• REI Co-op: REI is a US outdoor recreation retail co-op offering ski, snowboard, and apparel alongside rental and services in resort destinations. Comparable as a specialty outdoor retailer with rental/service offerings, though at much larger scale and broader category scope than Strolz.
• Decathlon: Decathlon is a global sporting goods retailer with Austrian operations offering winter sports, apparel, and equipment across categories. Comparable as a broad sporting goods retailer with ski offerings, but mass-market and lacking Strolz's premium destination and custom-boot specialization.
• Intersport Austria: Intersport is a leading European sports retail cooperative with Austrian stores offering ski equipment, rental, apparel, and service. Comparable as a multi-location ski retailer serving Alpine destinations, though broader in assortment and more mass-market than Strolz.
• Hervis Sport- und Mode GmbH: Hervis is the largest Austrian sporting goods retail chain (SPAR Group affiliate) with nationwide stores selling winter sports, fashion, and equipment. Comparable in product breadth and Austrian retail footprint but at a mass-market positioning rather than Strolz's luxury, destination-specific focus.

Direct peers

• Sport 2000: Sport 2000 is an Austrian and European sporting goods retail cooperative with strong Alpine presence, including ski rental and service operations. Closely comparable in ski retail + rental + service model, though with many more independent member shops across multiple regions.
• Sport Bründl Gesellschaft m.b.H. Sport Bründl is the parent operating entity that acquired the Strolz locations in 2024, and itself runs multi-location ski retail, rental, and service shops in the Austrian Alps (Kaprun/Zell am See region). It is the closest comparable operator to Strolz in business model, customer base, and Alpine destination positioning.

Others

• Atomic (Amer Sports): Atomic is a leading Austrian ski equipment manufacturer (alpine skis, bindings, boots) owned by Amer Sports. Comparable as a premium Austrian ski brand rooted in the Alpine market, but operating as a manufacturer/wholesaler rather than a destination retailer.
• HEAD Sport GmbH: HEAD is an Austrian-founded global manufacturer of ski equipment, ski boots, and winter sports apparel. Comparable as an Austrian-rooted premium ski brand, but operating as a manufacturer across multiple categories rather than as a destination retailer.
• Dalbello (Tecnica Group): Dalbello is an Italian ski boot manufacturer (part of Tecnica Group) producing performance alpine ski boots. Comparable as a ski boot specialist with branded positioning, but operating as a manufacturer rather than the integrated retail/rental/service destination model of Strolz.
• Salomon (Amer Sports): Salomon is a French-founded global manufacturer of ski boots, bindings, and winter sports equipment (owned by Amer Sports). Comparable as a ski equipment and boot specialist, but at much larger global scale and through wholesale distribution rather than Strolz's destination retail model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/strolz.lech

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Strolz