Stichd shifts to direct-to-retail model in Eastern Europe, opens Warsaw office

Dutch company Stichd, part of the Puma Group, has appointed Michal Siwik as its new regional head of sales for Eastern Europe. The appointment coincides with the company's move to a direct-to-retail model in the region and the opening of a new regional hub in Warsaw, Poland.

Stichd, which holds licences for brands including Puma, Levi's, Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, had until now operated in Eastern Europe through distributors and agents, making it the last region where the company still ran an indirect model. According to the company, the shift completes its European go-to-market transformation, following the same model already rolled out across other European markets.

"Given the size of the market, the maturity of our retail partnerships, and the growing importance of category expertise, now is the right time to take the next step," said Olivera Djurkic-Barendrecht, director sales partners at Stichd. She added that the direct-to-retail model has already shown, in other European markets, that it strengthens the company's position as a strategic partner to retailers and enables closer collaboration across brands and categories.

Stichd chose Warsaw for its new regional hub because Poland is the largest market in the region and offers long-term growth potential, while many of the company's strategic retail partners already have a strong presence there. Djurkic-Barendrecht also described Warsaw as a modern, international business and retail centre with access to strong talent.

Through direct market management, Stichd aims to respond faster to opportunities and strengthen collaboration with both traditional retailers and pure players. The company expects the move to simplify operations and make its products more widely available to consumers in the region. The new setup also brings the Puma, Levi's, Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger and Head brands, along with the legwear, bodywear and swimwear categories, together under one go-to-market approach.

Siwik will lead the new sales organisation from Warsaw. Djurkic-Barendrecht said he combines commercial expertise with experience building teams and partnerships in a dynamic, multi-market environment, adding that his pragmatic, results-driven and collaborative approach reflects Stichd's culture.

"What excites me most is the opportunity to build something," said Siwik, regional head of sales for Eastern Europe at Stichd. "Eastern Europe is a diverse and fast-growing region with enormous potential, and I look forward to developing strong customer partnerships, building a high-performing team and helping accelerate Stichd's direct-to-retail strategy across the region." For his first six to 12 months, Siwik named building a strong team and the right way of working as his top priority, alongside spending time with customers and establishing a scalable commercial foundation.