SYDNEY: Australian surf and skate apparel brand Insight is launching its first ever retail store, after executing an aggressive international distribution strategy across 44 countries.
The brand, owned by Bleach Pty Ltd, will open a three-storey flagship store in Bali’s tourist mecca Kuta in December, which will be run by Indonesian distributor and licensee Planet Surf.
Insight CEO Tim Grainger said Bali was an “easy choice” to house the brand’s first store.
“Bali has grown in popularity and attracts so many international tourists each year and retail is strong in Indonesia. Insight sales have been growing solidly in Indonesia over recent years so it is time to showcase the brand in a strong retail and global environment with minimal seasonal fluctuations.”
The new store will showcase the label’s complete offering of products, including men’s and women’s apparel, denim, swimwear and accessories.
To date the brand has only had temporary pop-up stores. The move into permanent retail follows a period of restructuring, which saw its distribution model revert from a self-managed approach in international territories to a distributor and licensee model. Grainger said this approach means the risk and responsibility of funding international operations now rests with the independent distributors, rather than Bleach Australia.
“In particular in the UK, Spain, Portugal, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the US, we have partnered up with great companies to ensure we remain competitive and also have the capacity to keep growing the brand,” he said.
A recent deal was signed with Black Box Distribution, a US company run by skateboard champion Jamie Thomas, to manage Insight sales and distribution in the US. Insight is also working on expansion plans in South America.
Insight global marketing manager Shannon Clynes said online marketing strategies and social networking will be pushed beyond the usual channels in 2010. A fully integrated web-based campaign will launch early in the year, but Clynes declined to reveal full details.
“Across the board, on every kind of level, we are aiming for the stars on this,” Clynes said. “Every main component of web marketing is going to be there and you are going to see a very strong presence. It is really supporting the four main categories of Insight which is surf, skate, women’s and artists.”
Key to promotions is a recently filmed campaign called “Repeat After Me; I am Free”, featuring footage of a road trip with 26 surfers, skaters and artists wearing Insight apparel. An initial clip of the film was released online in November, with updates to be spaced throughout 2010.
Insight is stocked in approximately 300 Australian stores.
Melinda Oliver