The origins of a company and a brand matter more and more in a globalised world where the DNA of products can become diluted and unreadable. This is not the case with CimAlp, which not only roots its origins in a territory at the very heart of its core activity — the mountains, and more specifically the Mont White — but has also built its values around customer satisfaction.
The origins of CimAlp
It was an enthusiastic and enterprising mountaineer who founded in the Drôme in 1964 this French SME focused on the manufacture of mountain clothing. The CimAlp brand is in fact a contraction of Cime (peak) and Alpes (Alps): it reflects the brand's fierce ambition to reach summits and its attachment to the great mountain range of the region where the company was born.
With very strong mountain roots, CimAlp has always built its development around a genuine democratisation of technical clothing for the widest possible audience, while guaranteeing true comfort of use and maintaining high levels of performance.
With the growth of mountain sports and outdoor activities, CimAlp quickly expanded its expertise beyond traditional mountain pursuits such as skiing, mountaineering, and hiking. It went on to develop clothing ranges for freeride, ski touring, snowshoeing, via ferrata, and climbing, as well as orienteering, trail, road running, Nordic walking, and of course trekking and travel.
One goal only: customer comfort and satisfaction
CimAlp has one simple credo: to design only ergonomic garments that free up movement. You could almost say that a CimAlp garment should be forgotten — never getting in the way of the hiker's or mountaineer's enjoyment, whether pushing hard on the ascent or pausing to take in the view.
To achieve this, CimAlp has placed the customer at the heart of its approach, aiming to offer not only the best technical innovations but to make them accessible to as many people as possible through attractive pricing.
Designing a garment that is both comfortable and technical is no easy feat, yet it has enabled CimAlp to build a deep and loyal bond with the many mountain and outdoor enthusiasts who have trusted the brand for decades.
A unique strategy
To meet this challenge, CimAlp chose a strategy very different from its competitors and quickly opted for online sales. This approach reduces many intermediate distribution costs, enabling the brand to position itself at lower prices than the market.
This strategy also relies on genuine professionalism in customer service. As an outsider with less brand recognition than some competitors, CimAlp must get every sale right. Free delivery and returns, products presented by specialist experts, and a 2-year guarantee on a large number of products have led to an overall satisfaction rate of 97%. New CimAlp customers are reassured by verified reviews, and existing customers are kept loyal by the quality of the products.
R&D at the heart of CimAlp
R&D has naturally become the cornerstone of growth and development, enabling CimAlp to continually produce new garments at the cutting edge of technology. CimAlp now holds numerous patents and develops its innovations alongside professionals and experts such as mountain guides, who approve products or push for improvements to best meet users' needs.
Moreover, Cimalp today has a large professional client base — sports doctors, high-altitude mountain guides, ski schools — whose feedback and product testing continuously help improve garments for ever-greater customer satisfaction.
Strong values
Over the years, CimAlp has built strong values that are, in many ways, its signature and its statement of intent. Consideration, curiosity, durability, and agility are important driving forces for every employee of this French, family-owned company. With a true team spirit, each person puts these essential values at the heart of everything they do, every day.
Consideration places the customer at the very top of the company's priorities, leading to the development of a genuinely available and highly competent customer service team. Based in France, it enables swift follow-up and real attention to detail. Consideration for the customer is also a core element of the brand's approach to setting fair prices and selecting the right products.
Durability is also a key concern that drives CimAlp to produce garments that are robust and long-lasting. Opposed to planned obsolescence, CimAlp designs products built to last and to preserve natural resources as much as possible. Consuming responsibly is a core driver for the brand, which always designs repairable garments — and can carry out repairs for you simply by post, even for the oldest items!
At CimAlp, innovation often finds its source in curiosity. With an open mind, CimAlp's development draws on technological innovations from adjacent industries and the latest scientific discoveries. By constantly exploring and seeking to improve its products, CimAlp makes radical innovations and substantial improvements accessible to all — for your comfort and your sporting performance.
Finally, CimAlp's agile mindset allows it to continually diversify in line with new trends or respond quickly to emerging needs. Its expertise and ability to stay alert mean it can always offer customers new products while continuously refining existing models — even the most successful ones!
