Later this year, the Lafuma Group will be bringing the French surf brand Oxbow across the Atlantic to the U.S. market. Heading up the effort, Oxbows key sponsored athlete, Laird Hamilton will take a 12% stake in the U.S. subsidiary. The main office and distribution will be based out of Lafuma Americas headquarters in Broomfield, Colorado, headed by Guillaume Linossier. Oxbow will have an additional office in California. There will also be two Oxbow stores opening this fall, one in Santa Monica and one in Hawaii. In 2006 the brand had sales of 65 million ($85 mm).
In other Lafuma news, the brand has seen “strong growth” in the US Market with an increase in sales of 55% at the end of May 2007, expecting to surpass the $6 million mark at the end of its fiscal year this October. A broader apparel line will be introduced for Spring 08 that includes a large selection of eco-friendly products. Lafuma will be adding two additional warehouses for its furniture business to better service its east and west coast dealers. Lafuma America is also focusing on increasing the presence of Millet in the U.S. market through a network of technical specialty stores.
