TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sojitz General Merchandise Corporation (Sojitz GMC), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sojitz Corporation (TOKYO:2768), acquired trademark rights to England’s Admiral casual fashion brand for five regions in East Asia (China, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and South Korea). With the acquisition of these trademark rights, Sojitz GMC will solidify the production foundations of its existing business while using the brand know-how that it established in the Japanese market to sell Admiral as an English brand launched from Japan in East Asian markets.
Sojitz GMC began selling Admiral
casual footwear in Japan in 2006 performing the full role from
planning, design, production, to sales. Annual sales volumes which were
approximately 40,000 pairs in 2007 has grown to a level of approximately
200,000 pairs with the support from the generation around 20 years old
or younger. Sojitz GMC designed products using materials such as Harris
Tweed and Liberty brand textiles from England, and took various measures
such as product planning in collaboration with Japan's largest
mail-order fashion sites and premier select shops, developing Admiral
into a brand known for retaining unique English characteristics.
Sojitz
GMC will begin overseas marketing of Admiral branded products in 2014
and will look into sales of products other than casual footwear.
About Sojitz GMC:
In addition to Admiral, Sojitz GMC handles
a wide range of consumer goods brands including Eastpak backpacks, Reef
surf goods, and Dot-Drops suitcases. Sojitz GMC imports and sells
products, but also conducts brand marketing through original product
planning and promotions that make maximum use of the brand histories and
concepts.
Sojitz GMC will continue to propose ever-better consumer
products as the consumer’s best partner and to expand its scope of
business.
About Admiral:
Admiral was established in 1914 and has
become an international brand sold in 40 countries around the world
including Japan. It is one of the most widely-recognized European brands
in Japan. The Admiral name derives from the manufacture of uniforms for
the British Navy. The brand logo is based on the chevron of admiral. In
the 1970s and 1980s, Admiral integrated sports and fashion, sold
textiles with innovative designs and quality, and contracted with a
number of major professional soccer clubs including Manchester United
(1975-1980). Admiral also sponsored the historic England national soccer
team for 10 years.
A special website (http://admiralfootwear.com/100th/)
has been created to mark the 100th anniversary of the founding of the
Admiral brand. This website will actively promote the brand by posting
Admiral's history, product information, information about England,
interviews with celebrities, and more.
