HanesBrands, Winston-Salem, N.C., recently announced that it has added LF Corp. as a distribution partner in South Korea to expand the country’s number of Champion brand stores.
Champion distribution locations in South Korea, including stores, shop-in-shops and e-commerce, are expected to nearly triple to more than 30 by the end of 2020 and will continue to expand during the next five years, according to the company. LF directly operates more than 1,400 brand stores in South Korea.
“We are successfully expanding our Champion store footprint throughout Asia by partnering with leading retail operators and distributors,” says Jon Ram, HanesBrands’ group president, global activewear. “LF is a highly accomplished large-scale distributor that operates a large network of department stores, shop-in-shops, street shops and Internet platforms. We are looking forward to the growth that we can generate through the growing power of the Champion brand, combined with the retail, e-commerce and brand building expertise of LF.”
LF plans for retail stores and shop-in-shops to be located near and in the country’s major department stores and shopping malls. In addition, LF will distribute Champion products to the company’s Around the Corner multibrand lifestyle apparel stores and to other parts of its online and store network.
“Champion is a global leader in sports performance and athletic casualwear apparel and is particularly appealing to younger consumers in their teens and 20s,” says LF Corp. Managing Director Yoo Hyosang. “We believe Champion has the positioning to be an upscale brand in Korea, and we plan to utilize a dual distribution strategy of opening Champion stores and expanding points of distribution in other store channels and online platforms. We are eager to tap the growth potential of Champion in Korea.”
Currently, there are more than 200 Champion stores and shop-in-shops across Asia, including Japan, China, Thailand, Taiwan and Hong Kong. The company has more than 300 Champion stores and shop-in-shops globally. It continues to open stores in Europe, the United States and Australia, and is pursuing the distributor retail model to open stores in Mexico, and Central and South America. — D.S.
