Kolon Industries' fashion division, Kolon FnC, said on the 12th that it is combining the gear and apparel businesses of global outdoor brand Helinox to push into the Chinese market.
Kolon FnC has set up a joint venture called Helinox China with Helinox headquarters to run the business there. In South Korea, Helinox headquarters handles gear while Kolon FnC handles apparel, but in China the two segments will be operated together under a single brand through a unified-branding strategy. The company is introducing its apparel line, Helinox Wear, to China for the first time, following the gear business that began local sales in the first half of last year. Gear revenue from the official store on Tmall, China's largest online platform, rose 114% in the first half of this year from a year earlier.
The company is running an experience-based pop-up in the first-floor atrium of Shanghai's flagship shopping mall, Huanmao iapm, from the 10th of this month through the 27th. The pop-up features signature Helinox Wear items such as the Eclipse Pack Down Jacket and the Eclipse Pack Down Vest, along with a mug and a chair sold only in China. Through the 31st, the company will also run a linked urban camping space on nearby Nanchang Road so visitors can experience the brand's philosophy.
After the pop-up, the company will expand its local distribution network with permanent stores. It plans to open outlets at Shanghai's iapm and ITC in December and to secure more than 30 stores by 2030, centered on upscale shopping malls in major first-tier cities such as Shanghai and Beijing. The goal is to establish a foothold in China's outdoor and lifestyle market by linking online sales with brick-and-mortar stores.
Kolon FnC first introduced Helinox Wear in South Korea in October last year and has since opened five stores in major retail districts including Gangnam and Jamsil. It recently opened its first flagship store at Dosan Park in Seoul, rapidly expanding its offline presence. The "wearable gear" lineup, which applies the lightness and durability of gear to clothing, posted a twofold increase in revenue last month from the previous month on the strength of designs that span outdoor and everyday wear.
"Through close cooperation with Helinox headquarters, we have concentrated in Helinox the outdoor heritage Kolon FnC has built over more than 50 years and the capabilities that made global luxury brands successful," a Kolon FnC official said. "Through Helinox, we will bring a new wind to China's outdoor and lifestyle market and set a new paradigm for it."