La Sportiva advances international DTC strategy with ESW
Mountain sports leader sees increased sales growth in first three months following go-live.
15th September, 2026 — Founded in 1928, La Sportiva is a globally recognized leader in mountain sports footwear, apparel and equipment, with a long-established wholesale presence across international markets. As direct-to-consumer ecommerce became an increasingly important strategic lever, La Sportiva identified a need to evolve the channel — strengthening operational control, increasing market visibility and building the foundation for scalable international growth.
To support this, La Sportiva has adopted a hybrid ecommerce model and brought key operations, including logistics and site management, in-house. ESW has been appointed as Merchant of Record, managing payments, compliance, shipping, returns and customer service.
This approach allows La Sportiva to retain control while reducing the complexity of international ecommerce, reflecting a broader shift among global brands towards balancing ownership with scalability.
Jessica Genta, Strategy & E-Commerce Director at La Sportiva, said: “E-commerce is a key part of La Sportiva’s growth strategy, and we’re focused on scaling it internationally in a way that fits with how we operate. ESW offers the flexibility we need and integrates well with our evolving model.”
Federica Ronchi, Vice President of Sales, Southern Europe, at ESW, said: “We’re seeing a clear shift in how brands approach international growth. Rather than choosing between control and scale, brands like La Sportiva are redesigning their operating models to achieve both. That’s where ESW is uniquely positioned; absorbing the complexity of cross-border commerce while integrating seamlessly into a brand’s own ecosystem.”
La Sportiva’s ESW’s Merchant of Record model was rolled out in March 2026 and has already translated into strong early results. In the first three months following go-live, La Sportiva recorded a strong increase in sales versus the same period of the previous year, alongside a significant increase in conversion rate across international markets.
