Woolrich expands retail presence across EMEA, China expansion

By

Jennifer Braun

Published
Oct 26, 2021

Premium luxury American outerwear company Woolrich is elevating its wholesale presence across the Europe, the Middle East and Africa region, as it equally makes its foray into China. 

Following several years of building the brand in Japan, Woolrich is ramping up its physical presence in China for the first time. It has partnered with luxury retailer Galeries Lafayette Beijing to showcase its fall 2021 collections for men and women, with three seasonal corners including two 538-square-foot spaces, anchored by a pop-up brand space in the department store’s atrium.

In all three units, the brand’s latest collection narrative — “Empowering Life in the Elements” — is emphasized in the spaces through the use of solid wood details, cool aluminum railing, reflective curved glass, and reconstituted trees complete with autumn leaves and snow-covered branches. All the while, cozy carpets feature the brand’s sheep logo. 

As part of expansion plans in the Europe, the Middle East and Africa region, the brand has also unveiled 30 new brand spaces including in leading department stores like Le Bon Marché Paris, Loden-Frey Munich, Jelmoli Zurich, Tsum Moscow, and La Rinascente Milan & Rome.

The Woolrich brand is owned by Woolrich International, which was created in 2016 after the merger of Woolrich Inc. and Woolrich Europe. In 2018, the L-Gam investment fund became the group’s majority shareholder. 

Most recently, Woolrich opened a flagship in Seoul and in 2020, it unveiled a store in Osaka, Japan, that opened in collaboration with its Japanese shareholder Goldwin. The brand's collections are currently distributed in 37 flagship stores globally.