Vaude Sport GmbH & Co. KG said it expects China to become one of its top three export markets by the end of 2013 as its distributor opens up to 50 new Vaude stores.
In 2011, Vaude signed a distribution, licensing and development agreement with Kailas, one of the country’s largest domestic outdoor brands. Kailas, which operates a large number of its own stores, opened the first Vaude store in China in early May in Guangzhou. The 600-square-meter flagship store features a façade designed from old wooden planks taken from a retired ship and an modular interior design developed by Vaude with a simple but functional rear panel and displays made from untreated ash wood.
Vaude celebrated the opening by holding its Asia Pacific sales meeting at the new store in May, marking the sixth such meeting held in China. Representatives from 11 Asian countries attended.
Kailas, which is based in Guangzhou, opened Vaude's second store in the country in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, which is emerging as a popular outdoor destination with a mountaineering image akin to Kathmandu , Nepal.
Vaude began working in China in 1991, when it formed a joint venture to make backpacks. In 2004, it began selling a line of apparel there that was specially designed for the Asian market in terms of fit, style and color.
