Beleaguered adventure apparel brand Colorado is back in business and ready to rock the market with the support of its new owner.
The label, which suffered after the collapse of its former parent company Colorado Group last year, has been salvaged by Fusion Retail Brands, which also currently owns Diana Ferrari, JAG, Colorado, Mathers and Williams.
The brand will relaunch nationally this month, under the guidance of CEO Don Grover and the Fusion Retail Brands umbrella, a multi-brand retail and wholesale business employing over 2,000 people across 271 retail outlets Australia wide and boasting a 2011/2012 turnover of in excess of $270 million.
Commenting on the decision to relaunch the 23-year-old brand after it went into receivership, Grover said Colorado will return with “with renewed vigour and a strong customer focus”, with the brand expected to encompass 25 per cent of topline sales of Fusion group going forward.
In particular, he revealed that, unlike its previous incantation which spread across apparel and footwear, the 2012 range will be entirely footwear centric, with Colorado’s rebirth to see the brand return to its roots of durable, quality shoes for everyday adventures.
“The outdoor leisure market is one of the quickest growing segments globally and Colorado already has a strong brand following in the space - it’s our job to capitalise on that,” he said.
“Using assets like our cross-company database of over 850,000 engaged customers, we expect that within the first year, the Colorado arm of Fusion Retail Brands’ business will encompass over 25 per cent of the company’s top line growth.”
Grover has also set several other targets for the Colorado brand in its first year of operation, which includes winning back customer loyalty, the reintroduction of the brand into Williams and Mathers stores nationally and the launch of e-commerce functionalities.
“The most important aspect is getting the product right for your customer. As such, our job over the next three years will be to secure the future of the label, focusing on all levels of the retail offering, including customer service, e-commerce and loyalty” he says.
A new website and social media channels will be central to the brand’s marketing campaign going forward, with plans to also have mobile selling capabilities by 2013.
A string of standalone stores are also scheduled to launch from 2014, with several new key markets selected to contribute to the growth of Colorado brand.
Grover these will include Western Australia and Queensland as a key focus for the group, having already secured a widespread distribution channel in Victoria and Queensland through the Mathers and Williams retail stores.
In addition, the company has hinted that global expansion could be on the cards in future, with New Zealand and Asia high on the list of target regions.
“This really is an exciting time for the group,” Grover said.
“We have been given the challenge to re-discover and re-invigorate the Colorado brand and re-connect with its heritage, but in a contemporary and relevant way in today’s retail environment. If we get it right there is no stopping us and my goal is to see bricks and mortar stores opening in early 2014.
“I have a simple way of measuring success - if your family and friends are raving about it you’ve succeeded. If not, it’s time to go back and start again.”
The brand Colorado is available for purchase from today, online and nationally at Mathers and Williams stores and through Myer stores nationally.