Wolford plans brand expansion with new partnerships

Austrian skinwear and hosiery specialist Wolford is looking to distributors to expand its brand presence into emerging markets such as Poland and the Balkans, and White Spots including Scandinavia, UAE, Central America and Japan through new partnership agreements.

Wolford has reached partnership agreements with well-established agencies and distributors, including Owl International, Chemco Srl, Rishoj and De Lorenzo, and Sazaby League to leverage their knowledge and presence in their respective territories.

In a statement, Wolford said that each distributor was chosen for their “deep understanding of the apparel business through focused distribution,” which follows the company strategy to invest more in ready-to-wear and athleisure collections.

To target the Polish market, Wolford has assigned the sole representations of all its products to Owl International and signed an exclusive agency agreement in April 2020 with the overall goal to acquire new sales partners and develop further the brand presence in the country.

Wolford states that several multi-brand doors have been opened during 2020, culminating with opening a new Wolford Boutique partner in the prestigious Klif fashionable Mall in Warsaw on December 5.

Wolford partners to expand to new markets

For the Balkan region, Chemco Srl that operates across multiple markets including Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Serbia, Romania, and Albania, has been chosen to represent the brand. Several multibrand doors have been opened since the agreement, with a new shop-in-shop at Maxi department store situated in Ljubljana opening in October 2020.

In addition, Wolford has signed a distribution agreement for the Japanese market with Sazaby League, with the objective to roll-out additional mono-brand stores and elevate the brand further in the market. This agreement was signed back in September 2020.

Silvia Azzali, Wolford’s chief commercial officer, said in a statement: “Last year has been challenging, but as they say: When the going gets tough, the tough get going. We are delighted that we have been able to review our strategy and act upon it.

“We are energised by having the opportunity to join forces with a group of amazing partners. We look forward to a brighter future together. We are confident that their experience’s excellence will allow us to develop our Brand and share our story in the luxury retail space in their respective markets. We look forward to taking our Brand to new levels and all women out there. Because all women deserve Wolford.”

The aim of the partnerships added Wolford is to build a highly qualitative retail presence in key cities and manage the existing Wolford boutiques directly. The brand said that there will be a focus on opening new opportunities in key retail locations, with the primary objective to enhance the customers’ experience and product offering.

The partnerships will enter its operational phase this month with a presentation to press and buyers of Wolford’s spring-summer 2021 collection.

Image: courtesy of Wolford