Kontoor launches Wrangler in China with Tmall debut

By

Robin Driver

Published
Dec 18, 2020

Greensboro, North Carolina-based denim group Kontoor Brands, Inc. has announced the expansion of its Wrangler brand to China, taking a digital-first approach to the move by launching an initial offering on local e-commerce giant Tmall.

 
The company’s Lee business is already one of the leading denim brands in China, and Kontoor intends to leverage its experience with the label in order to drive Wrangler’s growth on the Chinese market.
 
For its launch in the country, Kontoor has “reimagined” Wrangler’s cowboy spirit, developing a brand platform that is designed to resonate with China’s youth. The arrival of the brand on Tmall was celebrated with an activation at Shanghai streetwear trade show Innersect.

“We are building awareness and demand for the brand through our initial digital product offerings,” explained Kontoor Brands VP and GM for Asia Pacific John Gearing. “In the coming months, we will accelerate our focus on creating engaging and innovative experiences designed to introduce Wrangler’s best-in-class apparel products to the Chinese consumer.”
 
Wrangler expects to expand its product offering in China in spring 2021, when it will also launch additional marketing activations.
 
Global expansion is one of Kontoor’s core strategic priorities, and, as one of the fastest-growing consumer markets in the world, China has been identified as a key area of focus for this strategy.
 
Earlier this month, the company also named Bengaluru-based Ace Turtle as its new manufacturing and retailing licensee for the Lee and Wrangler brands in India. Previously, the company had sold its products in the country through its own company-owned local subsidiary.
 
In the third quarter ended September 26, 2020, Kontoor achieved net income of $60.8 million, or $1.05 per diluted share, on revenues of $583.2 million.