ACTIVEWEAR BRAND VUORI EXPANDS TO SEVEN INTERNATIONAL MARKETS
ACTIVEWEAR BRAND VUORI EXPANDS TO SEVEN INTERNATIONAL MARKETS
Activewear brand Vuori launched in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Australia, and Canada today, marking the initial steps of a global rollout announced late last year. Initially available through e-commerce, Vuori will soon be sold at a variety of leading wholesale partners including Selfridges (all four locations and online, men’s product only), Cotswold Outdoor (20 locations and online), and in the retail shops at all 11 of the United Kingdom’s Barry’s Bootcamp locations. The brand intends to open its U.K. flagship store in London later this year. Ireland’s Brown Thomas will offer Vuori (two locations and online) as will Netherlands-based outdoor retailer Bever (20 locations and online).
“We are proud to announce Vuori’s first-ever expansion outside of the U.S.,” said Joe Kudla, Founder and CEO. “We are infinitely grateful for our team, who has helped bring this shared vision to life, and are thrilled to bring Vuori’s new perspective on performance apparel to these new markets. 2022 is going to be Vuori’s biggest year yet, and we look forward to sharing much more in the weeks and months ahead.”
The brand is currently sold on its ecommerce site and at stores in Berkeley, Boulder, Cherry Creek, Del Mar, Encinitas, La Jolla, Malibu, Manhattan Beach, Newport Beach, San Francisco, San Jose, Scottsdale, Studio City, and Venice Beach, as well as most Nordstrom and REI stores.
Established in 2015 by Kudla, Vuori has grown to unicorn status (rare privately held companies valued at more than $1 billion) thanks to its differentiated, versatile perspective on performance apparel. In October 2021, the company was valued at $4 billion by SoftBank Vision Fund 2, which invested $400 million in the brand. Both the investment and valuation are believed to be among the largest in history for a non-public apparel company. The company has been profitable since 2017, and is backed by SoftBank Vision Fund 2 as well as Norwest Venture Partners.
As it reaches new markets around the globe, Vuori is also expanding its product offering, making key investments in infrastructure and people, and has opened both a U.K. distribution hub as well as an innovation center in Taiwan. The company, through partnerships with organizations such as Climate Neutral and CleanHub, is offsetting its carbon and plastic footprints while taking steps to eliminate 80% of plastics from its shipping and supply chain this year, continuously investing in its sustainability efforts.