01 The Force of Momentum

“The advantage of a skilled strategist lies in creating momentum, like rolling a boulder down a thousand-foot mountain—it generates immense impact.”

Let’s start with some numbers:

  • 2019–2020 ski season: 10.45 million visits nationwide.
  • 2020–2021 ski season: 20.76 million visits, doubling in just one year.
  • Forecast for this ski season: Likely to double again, with ice and snow tourism revenue expected to reach 680 billion RMB.

When combined with ancillary industries like equipment, coaching, and photography, the total output of the snow economy will surpass 1 trillion RMB this season.

To put this into perspective: in 2021, China’s pet economy was worth 400 billion RMB—less than half of the snow industry’s output, even amid pandemic challenges.

After the Beijing Winter Olympics, the goal to “involve 300 million people in snow sports” has become a reality, igniting unprecedented enthusiasm in the market.

02 A New Blue Ocean with a Moving Snow Carpet

Since opening its first store in Shanghai in 2018, SNOW51 has rapidly expanded to over 20 locations across China within just a few years. After securing significant funding, SNOW51 has shifted into overdrive, planning dozens of new stores—even in the face of pandemic-induced closures of physical locations.

At SNOW51, there are no icy mountain winds or challenging slopes. Instead, a 45-square-meter snow carpet slowly moves beneath your feet.

This snow carpet closely mimics the feel of real snow but offers greater resistance, magnifying technical imperfections. A single transparent mirror helps trainees check their form, while coaches can adjust the carpet’s speed, significantly reducing the risk of falls and injuries.

This innovative approach breaks the traditional geographic barriers of snow sports, bringing skiing “south of the Great Wall” and enabling people across China to enjoy the thrill of skiing.

03 “City Life, Mountain Love”

SNOW51’s brand philosophy, “City Life, Mountain Love,” was inspired by founder Ye Kai’s experience recovering from a skiing injury. This vision serves as the foundation for SNOW51’s offerings.Beyond skiing, SNOW51 provides a luxurious lifestyle experience:

  • A Michelin-chef-led restaurant.
  • A retail space featuring top sports brands.
  • A members-only lounge equipped with rock climbing walls, table tennis, VR ski games, and spa facilities.

From space to community, SNOW51 aims to create a new luxury sports lifestyle.

SNOW51 offers a variety of business formats, from flagship stores spanning thousands of square meters, to high-end community stores, and even mini retail pop-ups in collaboration with outdoor brands. This diverse portfolio reinforces its image as a premium brand, delighting high-net-worth customers who seek quality and comfort.

But as SNOW51 expands its services and customer base, maintaining innovation and leadership in the industry becomes a challenge. How can SNOW51 evolve into a one-stop platform for skiing enthusiasts? This requires exceptional resource integration and brand management capabilities.

(Photo: SNOW51’s Huaihai TX store featuring indoor skiing, dining, and retail.)

04 Managing Customer Mindsets

“The essence of our business is managing customer mindsets—it’s a service business,” said founder Ye Kai.Skiing is a sport that combines spiritual joy with social appeal. Under the “City Life, Mountain Love” philosophy, SNOW51 focuses on high-end customers who value quality living. By tapping into the deeper values of health, happiness, family, and friendship, SNOW51 can push the boundaries of its existing market and unlock new opportunities.

Over the past four years, SNOW51 has accumulated substantial user data from its 20+ stores. But the challenge lies in interpreting this data, turning it into a commercial moat, and maintaining its industry leadership.

To address these questions, SNOW51 partnered with CBi China Bridge to conduct user research, experience diagnosis, and create a forward-thinking strategy to meet diverse user needs while maintaining its innovative edge.

Through participatory experiences, immersive research, and shadowing both new and loyal customers, the CBi team identified user behaviors, needs, and preferences across different scenarios. They developed insights to guide SNOW51’s future service opportunities.
(Photo: Analysis of current user experience pain points.)
“In five years, we hope SNOW51 will be in every top shopping mall across 30 major cities, becoming a gateway to a better life.” — Ye Kai

05 Respect for Users

Chen Hui (pseudonym), a professional with two children, discovered SNOW51 while walking past its Huaihai TX store. Intrigued by the sight of people skiing through the window, she immediately booked an experience lesson.Previously a gym enthusiast, Chen found skiing to be a fun and challenging way to build core strength and burn calories.

“Skiing is about overcoming challenges and pushing my limits. Seeing real progress makes it meaningful.”

Chen also enrolled her children in SNOW51, finding joy in skiing together as a family—a valuable bonding experience. She even hosts small gatherings with clients and friends at SNOW51, appreciating its blend of leisure, dining, and entertainment.

SNOW51 caters to a diverse membership, ranging from 2-year-olds to 72-year-olds, each with unique needs and expectations. The brand’s success hinges on defining and meeting these demands, fostering long-term growth.

“Respect for users has been my greatest takeaway from this project,” said a senior executive at SNOW51.

Understanding and addressing user needs is the key to winning the market.

06 A Grand Introduction: The First Lesson

SNOW51’s “Opening Lesson” is its grand introduction.For customers, this lesson determines whether they commit to a membership. For SNOW51, it’s the moment to activate new customers and convert them into loyal members.

The lesson helps beginners overcome their fear of balance and ignites their desire to ski on real slopes. For seasoned skiers, it sets clear expectations for future lessons, enhances technical skills, and builds connections within the ski community.

CBi’s team redefined this experience, identifying opportunities to enhance the “Opening Lesson” by customizing services for different customer types, ensuring a memorable introduction that boosts membership conversion.

(Photo: Coach conducting an “Opening Lesson” in the SNOW51 sports area.)

07 From Zero to Hero

SNOW51’s motto, “From Zero to Hero,” reflects its journey and impact:

  • For beginners: Guided by professional coaches certified by the Austrian National Ski Association, they progress from zero experience to mastering skiing, ultimately discovering the joy of real slopes.
  • For coaches: Coaches are heroes in users’ eyes, but by supporting and empowering users with humility, they transform their customers into heroes.
  • For the brand: SNOW51 builds a culture of care, as exemplified by a 68-year-old member’s letter praising a coach who risked injury to protect her during an outdoor session.
This mutual transformation requires careful design to ensure all stakeholders benefit from a seamless journey.Through deep user research, SNOW51 and CBi defined 10 key opportunities and developed over 60 actionable service points. These strategies encompass reliable teaching experiences, decision-making support, community-building, and fostering customer loyalty.

08 From Potential to Kinetic Energy

Service design is strategic, but strategy is realized through tactical execution. CBi’s collaboration with SNOW51 not only envisioned an ideal user journey but also provided actionable recommendations for implementation.For example, while SNOW51’s mix of skiing, dining, and retail services intrigued customers, the integration of these offerings lacked synergy. The solution? “Ski Packages” tailored to different times, age groups, and scenarios, enhancing the skiing experience while creating new dining opportunities.

As founder Ye Kai reflected:
“With CBi, we used service design methodologies to map our customer journey efficiently. From initial research to co-creating 20+ innovative opportunities with stakeholders, we’ve reshaped our ideal customer journey. This will drive future growth and elevate our customer experience with a clear, scientific approach.”

In the grand momentum of bringing snow sports south, service design has become a key force for transforming potential energy into kinetic energy.

 

4o