Frilufts AB appointed Henrik Hoffmann as its new Chief Operating Officer of Frilufts Retail Europe AB to replace Thomas Lipke, who resigned as Chief Operating Officer of the retailing group.
The change took effect Sept. 14. Lipke remains active as Managing Director of Frilufts AB’s subsidiary Globetrotter Ausrüstung GmbH, the largest outdoor specialty retailer in Germany.
“I think it is the right time for a change,” said Lipke, who joined Globetrotter in 1991. “For me it is ‘now time,’ according to our motto to live my dreams.”
Frilufts AB Group – named for the Swedish word for “outdoors” – was created in December 2014 by combining Globetrotter with the Naturkompaniet (Sweden) and Partioaitta (Finland) retail chains owned by Fenix Outdoor International AG (Fenix AG). Fenix AG, which also owns the Fjällräven, Tierra, Primus, Hanwag and Brunton outdoor brands, created the joint venture after increasing its stake Globetrotters to 60 percent. Frilufts AB is 60 percent owned by Fenix AG and 40 percent by Globetrotter’s remaining shareholders, including Lipke. The group has combined annual sales of about €260 million.
Fenix AG, which invested €7 million in fresh capital in the joint venture, reported a loss in the second quarter despite more than doubling its sales as it absorbed costs related to the venture, which created on of the largest independent outdoor specialty retailers in Europe.
Lipke retired as a member of the board of directors of the Swiss retailer Transa AG in August after Fenix AG sold its 25 percent stake in that retail chain to Scott Sports President and CEO Beat Zaugg.
“We thank Thomas for all the work he has done during our long-term cooperation, not least in the last 18 months,” said Martin Nordin, CEO of Fenix AG. “I understand Thomas' desire to tread at this time a new chapter in his life.”
