Merrell Korea in closer alignment with Japan
Japanese corporation Marubeni will take over the running of outdoor company Merrell's South Korean business from this year, according to Seoul-based media.
The brand has been wholly owned by US footwear group Wolverine World Wide since 1997.
Marubeni, which reports said will now work closely with Wolverine to expand the brand’s footprint elsewhere in Asia, will train its focus on Merrell’s footwear category, with a strategy already in place to dedicate 47-48% of lines to shoes. Attention will also be paid to building on Merrell’s strong brand awareness in the region to further develop apparel for the coming season, a Marubeni spokesperson said.
Merrell Korea was most recently operated by MK Korea, which took over from Hwaseung in 2020.
Image: Merrell.
