UK-based Inov-8 announced its growth plans for France after adding the country to its portfolio of direct European markets.
The brand also announced it had appointed Emmanuel (Manu) Fedon as sales manager for France. Fedon lives in Annecy and brings two decades of sports industry experience to the role. He previously worked for Asics and recently five years as commercial director for On Running in France.
Before the announcement, the Inov-8’s business in France was managed by a distributor partner, most recently Ricochet; however, from AW22 onwards, the country will join the UK, USA, Germany, Austria, and Scandinavia as a direct market for the brand founded in 2003 by Wayne Edy.
Tim Parkin, Inov-8’s head of sales, said: “We’d like to thank Ricochet for the fantastic job they have done over the last four years in building our brand and business in France. Their energy, enthusiasm and technical know-how have been invaluable to us and help make them one of the strongest distributors in the sports and outdoors market.
“We’ve now made the decision to go direct in France as of AW22, which will allow us to place a greater focus on this key European market and set ambitious growth plans. We also feel it’s a real coup to have someone of Manu’s caliber at the helm. He has an outstanding reputation within the industry and a wealth of contacts across France.”
Fedon began his sports industry career in 2002 and worked his way through the ranks to become Sales Director at Asics, France. Following a three-year hiatus in the high-end watch market, he returned to the sports business in 2017 and helped build On Running in France.
Inov-8 is owned by fits founder Wayne Edy, who, in 2020, bought back the company from Japanese sportswear company Descente. Its headquarters remain in the Lake District, England.
Photo courtesy Inov-8
