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Fjällräven
With names like Primus and Hanwag in their stable among many others, Rosker is firmly established in the outdoor market. Now they’re taking on the UK distribution for Fjällräven, and hoping they can bring their magic touch to what is a really practical-looking line incorporating jackets, trousers, fleeces, backpacks and a lot more. Ralph explains to SGB what they will be focussing on for the first 12 months – and also on this spread, we present a range of Fjällräven’s ‘staples’ so you can get a good idea of what this trusted brand can add to your shop…
SGB: Rosker’s well known in the outdoor arena, with some very strong brands under your wing like Hanwag and Primus, not to mention the excellent Multimat. What is it about Fjällräven that you think is going to complement what you already have?
Ralph White: There’s been a big change for Rosker, when in September the company merged with Fenix Outdoor AB, a big Swedish company which owns Primus, Hanwag and Fjällräven; we’re now part of the Swedish group that owns Fjällräven.
They’ve got to know us well as a company over the last 12 years working with them on the Primus brand; that relationship was further strengthened when we took on Hanwag four years ago.
Fenix is hoping that Rosker can bring to Fjällräven what we’ve done with Primus and Hanwag.
SGB: Fjällräven’s line is pretty comprehensive – are you doing everything, or being very selective? The jackets look particularly good…
RW: We’re not taking everything – it’s a forward ordering program. There’s not going to be a huge warehouse holding thousands of items of stock. What we will be doing, as every other distributor does, is to forward sell stock that is then brought in to reflect European demand.
We’re continuing to work with Geoff Walters who has been Fjällräven’s sales agent for the last five years. We’ve got the sales knowledge and experience with Geoff, so we know what has sold in the UK, and those are the ones we’ll be concentrating on for that first year. We want to get the brand logistics stable in the UK, first of all.
We will be steering people’s interests and focus towards what we think will excite people; we don’t want people to stick with what is safe and secure, we want people to try new products. There’s a lot of good designers at Fjällräven, and great product, so we want to take customers out of their comfort zone to an extent. We want stockists to be empowered and to try two or three new items; if they’re only doing three at the moment, in 2010-2011 we want them to try another three on top of that.
We’re not expecting this to be massive in the UK, because most outdoor clothing is focussed around layering. Fjällräven doesn’t embrace that principle; you have a jumper to keep you warm and have a waterproof coat on top of that. We’re not looking to break into the technical market with this, customers who are looking for Gore-Tex aren’t going to switch to Fjällräven, for example; but they might buy a Fjällräven jacket as well, for lighter use at a lower level.
SGB: So are you focussing on any particular area of the line? Backpacks, fleeces…
RW: We’re going to be concentrating on the trousers, actually. There’s no doubt in my mind that Fjällräven trousers is the number one premium trouser brand in Europe. Look around to see what there is in the way of walking or hard-wearing trousers – there’s not a great deal. The name that crops up again and again is Craghoppers, who have done a phenomenal job in creating a really big market share for themselves in walking trousers. Their focus is more on lightweight technical trousers; for country walking, through gorse, bracken and that kind of thing, you might need something more robust, which is where we think there’s a gap in the market that Fjällräven will slot neatly into.
SGB: What makes the line stand out, do you think?
RW: If you’re a retailer and you got a Fjällräven catalogue from, say, 2002, you won’t see much change in the colours they’re using. For the retailer, that’s great. Say you’re moving from the winter selling period into spring-summer, and you’ve got 15 per cent of the Fjällräven stock you haven’t sold. You could of course sell it off cheaply and have an end-of-season sale, or you could put it in the stock room until the next autumn winter period, knowing that the colour and design won’t have changed and you can sell it at full retail. The average margin on Fjällräven is very, very good because there’s no need for retailers to discount and clear the decks for the following season’s colours.
Fjällräven product highlights:
Anniversary Kånken Daypack
Over 3 million Fjällräven Kånken daypacks have been sold since its release in 1978 and it remains a popular classic today with approximately 200,000 selling each year.
The Anniversary Kånken is individually numbered and features woven name and address label with its history on the inside. The reflective strip on the front provides safety when walking at night and with the 16L capacity this is an ideal general purpose daypack. The back padding can be removed and used as a seat pad for comfort wherever you are.
The Kånken is made with Vinylon F. It is a functional fabric, while it is a synthetic fibre, Vinylon F still has many of the positive properties of natural fibres. It swells like a natural fibre, making the weave denser in wet weather, filling any air gaps, giving the fabric waterproof qualities, eliminating the need for a coating. It is both light and extremely durable with excellent abrasion resistance.
The Kånken is also the world’s first climate-compensated backpack, thorough Fjällräven’s support of the Yinyi windpower project in northern China.
RRP: £55.00
Nordli Padded Jacket
The light padding and hip-length, straight cut combine to make the Nordli Jacket perfect for all winter outdoor activities. The soft lining provides comfort and warmth while the fixed hood offers increased protection against the elements. There are two zippered side pockets and one chest pocket to keep all essentials close to hand.
The Nordli features the legendary G-1000 Original fabric, which is highly resistant to wear; it is more than twice as durable as denim but is lightweight. The fabric is impregnated with wax, making garments outstandingly resistant to rain. The tightly-spun weave in G-1000 gives it high windproof properties however this high-strength fabric wicks moisture away from the body and is breathable for comfort.
RRP: £155
Greenland Jacket
The Greenland Jacket was first developed in 1968 together with a well known alpine climber. Today, more than 40 years on and a few modifications for general outdoor use later, it has earned its place as one of Fjällräven’s classics and one of Europe’s most popular outdoor jackets.
The Greenland’s snugly fitting hood is constructed in such a way that it moves with you when you turn your head, and therefore does not obstruct your vision when on the move. Outer pockets are positioned both on the sides and on the chest to improve accessibility at all times.
Featuring the wind and waterproof G-1000 Original fabric for extreme durability and strength and a soft, warm pile lining for comfort.
This classic jacket will withstand wind and wear for many years.
RRP: £200
Greenland Trousers
The Greenland Trousers are the perfect partner to the Greenland Jacket. Featuring G-1000 Original fabric, one of the world’s most adaptable and durable fabrics, these trousers were built to last.
Perfect for trekking and general outdoor life, the G-1000 Original fabric provides waterproof and windproof protection against the elements and eliminates the need for gaiters.
The elastic, buttoned leg endings comfortably keep the weather out while the double reinforcements over the knees ensure maximum durability. When out on the hills there is somewhere to keep loose items secure with the seven pockets with room for a map and anything else you want close at hand. There is also a safety pocket on the inside. The Greenland Trousers are high waisted and have a comfort fit for free movement.
RRP: £99.00
Barents Trousers
These hardwearing, trekking trousers in G-1000 Original fabric are reinforced on the back and over the knees further enhancing durability. Due to the waterproof properties of the fabric, gaiters are not needed to keep the weather out. The high waist and comfort fit offers free movement when out on the hills and the handy pockets are large enough to accommodate a map.
The Barents Trousers come in raw length so that they can be adjusted to the perfect length for each individual.
RRP: £95.00
Telemark Padded Jacket
Ideal for colder conditions, the Telemark is lightly padded with an internal waist cord to keep the cold out and the warmth in. The stowaway hood provides additional weather protection when needed without bulk and the four outer bellow pockets and side opening hand pockets offer plenty of space for lose items and maps. Featuring G-1000 Original fabric and reinforced shoulders, the Telemark Jacket is extremely durable while the pleated back allows full freedom of movement when out trekking.
RRP: £189.00
If you’re interested in stocking Fjällräven, check out www.rosker.co.uk or call
023 9252 8711
