A Welsh family have bought the UK rights of a Norwegian outdoor clothing brand which will be launched later this year.
The Emery family of brothers James, David, Matthew and Michael, along with their father Peter, have invested £250,000 to secure Skogstad UK, a well-designed, technical, family-friendly and affordable range of outdoor clothing.
The family, who is behind Barry-based COS Group which comprises COS Office, COS Interiors, COS Print, Natural Power UK and Pitch Promos, will launch the autumn/winter range of the brand in the UK in September as the Norwegian brand celebrates its 75th anniversary this year.
Developed to cope with the Norwegian climate that experiences average temperatures of -13 degrees at winter, the clothing range, which consists of performance technical jackets, fleeces, ski-wear and lifestyle pieces, is a favourite amongst families in Norway and has become the biggest selling children’s brand of outdoor clothing in the country.
Having been introduced to Skogstad through Michael’s wife, Marie-Lovise, who was brought up in the same small village Innvik on the Nordfjord in Western Norway where the brand is based, the family saw a gap in the UK for a competitively priced Scandinavian brand of outdoor clothing and an opportunity to capitalise on this relatively untapped market.
Having worn Skogstad clothing for the past five years and consequently tried to buy it in the UK where they found it wasn’t available, the family approached Skogstad at a time when they had just started looking for a UK partner to help them expand out of Norway and an agreement was reached.
Skogstad business development director, James Emery, said: “As a family, we’re all keen outdoor enthusiasts and have been buying technical clothing for a number of years having trekked across the mountainous Knoydart Peninsula in North West Scotland, cycled the breadth of Wales and more recently, Michael cross country skied across Jostedalsbreen, the largest glacier on mainland Europe.
“There are a few outdoor clothing brands that we have been fans of but these are all extremely costly. We felt there was a gap in the UK market for a well-designed, competitively priced Scandinavian brand of outdoor clothing and we feel that Skogstad fits the bill perfectly. It has a similar vibrancy and colourful design to others on the market, combined with high performance, but at a much more affordable level.
“We are excited to bring this new brand to the UK market and retailers. It has a long history and standing in Norway having been a family favourite for the past 75 years and we’re confident that British families will quickly come to love it in the same way.”
Having selected its Autumn/Winter product range for 2012, the family is now working with Newport-based design agency Bluegg on its website and is in talk with retailers throughout the UK about becoming stockists. Skogstad has also supplied clothing to the current series of S4C’s cariad@iaith for its eight celebrities who include former rugby player Gareth Thomas and singer Lucie Jones.