Outdoor brand Berghaus was formally launched in China on July 3 by British ambassador to the country, Sir William Ehrman.
Sir William hosted the official launch at his residence in Beijing and it was attended by VIPs, the media and Berghaus representatives along with the brand’s owner, the Pentland Group. Berghaus was represented by brand president Richard Cotter and Asia Pacific vice president Michael Lockett.
Also at the event were mountaineer and Berghaus’ non executive chairman Sir Chris Bonington, and climber Leo Houlding, who is sponsored by the company. Sir Chris and Mr Houlding both gave presentations about their adventures around the world at the even. Mr Houlding has been given rare permission by the Chinese government to climb the sacred mountain of Huashan and he outlined his plans to achieve an ambitious first ascent of the west face of the peak this month.
Mr Cotter said: “This is a historic moment for Berghaus. China is one of the fastest growing outdoor markets in the world and will be a crucial area of growth for our brand.”
The company has focused on expanding in the Asian market in recent years and last year opened a regional headquarters in Hong Kong, which now employs 30 staff. It announced last September that it hoped to open 200 in China as well as selling through specialised retail outlets. Earlier this year, the first Berghaus concession opened up in a department store in the city of Dalian and a Berghaus flagship store is also up and running in Beijing. Helping to promote the brand across China is Lou Shen, a leading climber and head of the China Mountaineering Association, who has signed a sponsorship deal with Berghaus.
