Authentic Brands Group and Marc Fisher Footwear are hitting the refresh button on Tretorn.
ABG bought the 125-year-old outdoor-lifestyle brand from Puma and inked a licensing deal with Marc Fisher last year. Both companies say they’ve spent the past few months updating the product, shaping an accelerated distribution strategy and ramping up digital advertising for a mega debut at FFANY this week.
“We’re want to stay true to Tretorn’s vintage roots but move it into the modern age,” said Marc Fisher President Susan Itzkowitz. “We’ve been looking at adding comfort features and great vintage materials but also technically improved materials.”
For distribution, Itzkowitz said the firm is targeting “top-tier” retailers, including department stores, sneaker and lifestyle stores and a few independents. Since plans for international expansion are still in the early stages, Itzkowitz couldn’t reveal the names of potential distributors but said she is also eyeing several markets outside the U.S.
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ABG President and CEO Nick Woodhouse said he has been working closely with Marc Fisher to create a 360-degree marketing strategy, including a heavy digital and e-commerce push.
“This brand will resonate with people who shop online. We want to have a huge digital footprint — whether that’s delivering content about the brand or [online] sales,” Woodhouse said. “We hope that over 25 percent of our sales come via the Internet in the next 18 months — and I don’t just mean Tretorn.com. Much of those sales will come from our retail partners’ websites.”
Itzkowitz noted that Tretorn will up its social media efforts with the debut of a campaign under the them #TretornTheDay.
On the brick-and-mortar side, Woodhouse said he expects to see Tretorn’s assortment of updated sneakers and rainboots on the shelves of “tastemakers” such as Opening Ceremony and Dover Street Market.
Woodhouse said that while the brand, which is celebrating its 125th anniversary in 2016, has experienced a few lulls over the years, the fact that prior owners “never went downmarket” made it an appealing buy.
When the overhauled brand hits shelves in the fall, Itzkowitz believes the 18-to-34-year-old demographic will be Tretorn’s sweet spot.
“There’s a wealth of consumers out there who remember Tretorn with great fondness, but there’s also a whole new generation — the Millennials — that is into authenticity and heritage,” Itzkowitz said. “We think we can capture them with this brand.”
The brand’s casual styles will be priced from $65 to $180, and its rainboots will retail for $80 to $120.
