Columbia starts new retail offensive in France
Columbia is ready to play the retail card in France. The US brand specialised in outdoor apparel has until now been chiefly focused on doing business with sports retailers and chains.
Nowadays Columbia operates only two branded stores in France: the long-standing Val D'Isère shop, entirely renovated last year but opened originally in 1994 with skiing legend Killy; and the Chamonix store opened in 2008 with Coquoz.
This year, the brand is showing new intent in wanting to develop its own store network. According to FashionNetwork sources, Columbia will open two stores in quick succession, on 9th and 16th November, with retail partners in La Clusaz and on Strasbourg's Grand’Rue. As in Chamonix and Val D'Isère, Columbia will showcase all its different lines in these stores, as well as footwear brand Sorel, which is part of the Columbia Sportswear group.
The brand is also planning to expand into major French cities, via stores opened with other retail partners, and is seeking to broaden its range of shop-in-shops. Columbia is currently present in about fifteen stores in France, and has opened a 56 m2 retail corner in the Terre de Montagne store in Annemasse, and a 90 m2 one within Montagne Nature et Style in Saint-Martin d’Hères, in the Isère area.
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