The most dynamic ski rental company in the French Alps, Ski Republic, reports ski rental sales are up 34%, comparing winter 2008-9 with the current season, with UK customers representing 55% of turnover and around 50% of all bookings now being received online via ski-republic.com

The company launched its `two for one’ ski equipment rental model in December 2007 and has since revolutionized ski equipment hire, challenging the `high price, low service’ tag that ski hire companies had attracted.

Ski Republic’s Gael Brunhes said “Our challenge is to keep ahead of the competition with high quality equipment at keen prices. Competitors have responded by cutting prices, but so far they’re not offering like for like and Ski Republic are leading the way in affordable ski hire.

All of this is good for consumers, of course, who previously had little choice but to buy in resort or via their tour operator.

With our user-friendly online booking facility clients can now order their ski hire direct for collection in any one of our 33 Ski Republic shops throughout the French Alps”.

The company believes that having had a monopoly for many years, resort hire shops are now having to examine their service and pricing levels, to the benefit of customers. They also expect internet bookings to increase again for the 2010 / 11 season as consumers become more accepting of online booking for their ski equipment requirements.