North Face 2004 Annual Report Download - page 19

C H A N N E L S O F D I S T R I B U T I O N
B R A N D S U N I T E D S TAT E S I N T E R N AT I O N A L
Department Mass Specialty Department Mass Specialty
*Licensed Brands Store Market Store Store Market Store
Lee ●●●●
Wrangler ●●●●
Wrangler Hero ●
Riders ●
Rustler ●
Timber Creek
by Wrangler ●
Wrangler
Rugged Wear ●
Riggs Workwear
by Wrangler ●
Pro Gear
by Wrangler ●
Aura from the
Women at Wrangler ●
20X ●
Earl Jean ●●
Chic ●
Gitano ●
Brittania ●
UFO* ●
Hero by Wrangler ●
H.I.S ●●
Maverick ●
Old Axe ●
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VF C O R P O R A T I O N 2004 Annual Report
stores, as well as through its own stores in
New York City, Miami, Los Angeles and
London. We are in the midst of a thorough
analysis of the Earl Jean®brand to identify
ways to capitalize on its unique heritage
and realize its full potential. We’re looking
forward to celebrating the brand’s tenth
anniversary in 2005 by delivering the best
fits, fabrics and finishes in the premium
jeans category.
Expanding Our Presence Around the World
Our jeans brands continue to extend their
reach around the world. We were pleased
to see growth in many international markets
including Latin America, Canada, Mexico,
Turkey and Asia.
Our flagship brands, Wrangler®and Lee® ,
are clearly setting the bar for innovation
in the denim market in Europe. Our first
European Lee®brand store opened in
London in 2004 and is off to a strong
start, surpassing our expectations. Two
additional stores are slated for 2005.
The launch of the X-Line, which features
distinctive styling details, has been a success
with young, fashion-conscious male and
female consumers and should continue to
drive our Lee®brand results.
We also have a new contemporary product
under the Wrangler®brand in Europe, called
Wrangler®W Rivet, that offers a contempo-
rary interpretation of our classic jeans brand.
Our primary targets for this line are male
consumers between the ages of 20 and 35.
We’re supporting the launch with a highly
visible new marketing campaign.
The mass market channel in Europe
continues to grow rapidly, and we’re capturing
our fair share of this growth via our Hero by
Wrangler® ,Old Axe® and Maverick®brands.
Our business is being driven principally by
our Hero by Wrangler®EasiFit™line, which
combines the superior comfort and fit of a
stretch jean with a contemporary denim look
and finish.
Our established base in Europe is providing
us with the infrastructure and capabilities to
support VF’s growing portfolio of international
brands and has been a big factor in the
successful integration of our Vans, Napapijri
and Kipling businesses there.
The growth achieved in Latin America
in 2004, even in unstable economic conditions
in some markets, prove time and again the
power of the Wrangler®and Lee® brands.
Retail stores have been an important part
of our strategy in Latin America. They have
allowed us to build our brands while also
providing us with an important channel of
distribution. They also account for as much
as 40% of our sales in some markets, such as
Argentina. In 2004, we opened 7 new stores,
bringing the total number of company-owned
stores in the region to 42, with more planned
for 2005.
Russia is a relatively new market for us,
and we’re off to a strong start with substantial
growth expected in 2005. We also have a firm
foothold in Asia with our Lee® and Wrangler®
brands. In fact, Lee® jeans continue to be the
number one premium brand in China.