Success Stories
Skiservice Corvatsch, Schweiz
When rental and merchandise management work together perfectly: Skiservice Corvatsch has been active in the Engadin since 1976 and has grown from a small wooden hut on Corvatsch into an established specialty sports retailer.
50 years of winter sports expertise in the Engadin
The family business is now run by the second generation, Conradin and Karin Conrad, and employs over 100 staff from various countries during the winter season.
The company comprises a total of 15 locations, shops in the valley, at mountain stations, in renowned hotels, as well as an outlet in St. Moritz. The offering includes sales and rental of ski, snowboard, and bike equipment, along with comprehensive services such as repairs, fitting, and ski depots. From June to April, the company is open continuously and switches seamlessly from the summer to the winter assortment.
Quality, reliability, and a clear connection to the alpine lifestyle are at the core. Thanks to a consistent focus on service, international clientel, and proximity to key locations, Skiservice Corvatsch has steadily expanded its position in the Engadin.
Industry
Ski- and Bike Rental, Sports, Outdoor
Company size
Medium-sized Companies
Country
Switzerland
Project goal
All-in-One-System for Retail & Rental
The challenge: real-time transparency across 15 locations
The company’s biggest challenge was the lack of transparency regarding actual inventory. With 15 branches spread across the entire valley, from base stations and mountain stations to hotel shops, it was practically impossible to know the true stock of items. This led to numerous phone calls between locations, inefficient processes, and missed sales opportunities.
Added to this was the complexity of the business model: alongside classic retail sales, rental plays a central role. Items need to be transferred between branches, rental items managed, and service work billed, all with as few system breaks as possible. Customers also expect that an item they saw in one shop will be available in another the next day. To achieve all this, a solution was needed that connects retail and rental seamlessly.
The goal: all-in-one solution that integrates perfectly
“For us, it was crucial that we find systems that work together and communicate,” explains the Skiservice Corvatsch team. The requirement was clear: a cloud-based merchandise management solution that works in real time and interacts perfectly with the rental system. In many branches, advarics cash registers are used primarily for transfers and stock inquiries, while billing is handled via Easyrent. “It’s incredibly important that the stock levels are accurate and that the evaluations are therefore correct. And that write-offs are handled properly—Easyrent recognizes where something was sold and where it was paid.”
Ease of use was another central criterion: with over 100 seasonal employees from different countries, the system must be intuitive and usable without lengthy training.
The solution: seamless interaction between advarics and WINTERSTEIGER Easyrent
Since 2013, Skiservice Corvatsch has relied on the advarics.retail merchandise management solution and has been working with WINTERSTEIGER Easyrent since around 2008. The two systems are seamlessly integrated and communicate with each other in real time. Whatever is sold, rented, or transferred in one branch is immediately visible at all other locations.
This integration emerged through close collaboration: Skiservice Corvatsch was among the retailers who sat down from the very beginning with advarics and Easyrent for brainstorming. Together they defined requirements, set priorities, and developed solutions for specific challenges. The advarics cloud solution enables access to up-to-date data from anywhere, be it at the flagship store in Surlej, in the hotels, or at the mountain stations.
Implementation went smoothly, and support from both partners continues to impress. Especially for urgent POS issues, fast and reliable help is available.
The success: fewer errors, increased efficiency, happier customers
The improvements are clearly noticeable in day-to-day operations. Error rates have dropped significantly, processes have been optimized, and workflows have accelerated markedly. This saves valuable time that can be invested directly in customer service.
The retail area benefits the most from the solution: thanks to real-time communication between advarics and Easyrent, current inventory is always transparent. This enables precise stock management, especially in hotel shops. The further the season progresses, the more important this transparency becomes, after all, the goal is to have the warehouse optimally cleared by season’s end.
Cross-selling between branches works seamlessly: items can be moved between locations without issue, utilization is optimally managed, and product planning is based on real figures. Customers benefit indirectly as well: stored customer accounts and purchase histories make it easier to find items and allow for more personalized service. While this may feel natural to customers, it also substantially reduces the workload for our staff behind the scenes.
The ease of use makes a considerable difference: new employees can use the system quickly without lengthy training. The all-in-one solution means less complexity, fewer sources of error, and more time for what matters most, the customer.
The future: further development as strong partners
The collaboration between Skiservice Corvatsch, advarics, and WINTERSTEIGER is characterized by continuous improvement. A clear sign of the systems’ maturity: whereas coordination meetings used to take place four times a year, today a single meeting per year is sufficient. The number of pain points still requiring optimization has shrunk considerably.
Even so, requirements are taken seriously and implemented. The years-long collaboration has proven its value, and Skiservice Corvatsch would recommend the combination of advarics and Easyrent without hesitation.
The conclusion is clear: both systems work together quickly and effectively. advarics excels in merchandise management; Easyrent in the rental structure. The perfect complement between the two creates a solution that meets all the requirements of a modern, multi-location specialty sports retailer—and that will remain the case in the future.
“We have worked very well in recent years. The integration of advarics and Easyrent gives us accuracy, time savings, and clear simplification of work—and with that, higher service quality for our guests.”
Claudia Urschitz
