“Exceptional” sales in North America and demand from Europe have led Columbia Sportswear to revise its outlook for 2015 to forecast double-digit profits.

For the first quarter, group sales totalled $479 million, an increase of 13%.

Sales of Columbia footwear in Europe grew nearly 60% and accounted for more than half of European sales.

“We are encouraged by this momentum and committed to competing for a significantly greater share of this important global category over the coming years,” said Columbia CEO Tim Boyle.

In a call to investors, he praised the Sorel brand, whose sales increased 4% to $13.4 million

“When we bought the Sorel trademark for $8 million in 2000, Sorel was a heavily male oriented brand that offered rugged utility and work boots for extreme cold weather. And in 2009 when the brand generated approximately $60 million in annual sales, Mark Nenow and his team saw the potential of repositioning the brand and re-envisioning the products to appeal to fashion forward women. Since the Sorel consumer base has transformed to be more than 70% female while sales have nearly tripled growing 29% in 2014 to $166 million.

“Based on rapidly expanding consumer demand and very strong advance wholesale orders for 2015 fall, we expect Sorel to surpass $200 million in sales this year which would make it the first of our acquired brands to surpass that milestone.

“We believe we are only at the beginning to tap Sorel's global potential.”

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