Kailas, a Chinese outdoor gear company, has taken charge of the German outdoor company Vaude’s distribution activities in China as part of a broader pact that will include close collaboration with suppliers and joint development work and licensing agreements for Vaude products in China
With this new collaboration, Vaude seeks to profit from the market potential of Asia’s largest market and achieve increased sales growth. The pact will enable mid-size Vaude to leverage synergies in production, marketing and distribution of mountain sports equipment through the popularity of the Kailas brand, which is sold through 600 sales outlets.
Vaude was one of the first European Outdoor firms to become active in Asia and has been operating its own production facilities in China since 1991. As a mid-size company, Vaude entered the Chinese market in 2004 with its own distribution company. Over the past few years the Outdoor market in China has achieved an enormous growth rate as ever more Chinese begin looking for natural outdoor experiences thanks to higher incomes and a changing culture of recreation. Functional gear with backpacks, tents and waterproof clothing are sold in large department stores as well through a well-established specialty shop network where they are flying off the shelves. Kailas enjoys an excellent brand image in this Outdoor Goods specialist market and is accepted as China’s number one specialty brand with technical and premium quality products.