Klättermusen sets up its responsible outdoor universe in Paris

Swedish mountains in the heart of Paris. The Klättermusen brand, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary next year and has been developing an offering for outdoor activities using more environmentally friendly materials for nearly twenty years, has just opened its first store in France. The “climbing mouse” (translation of the brand name) is located at 103 rue du Temple in the 3rd arrondissement of the capital. An area previously dedicated to wholesalers of costume jewelry and luggage but which is being transformed with the arrival of several brand boutiques such as Rains, KnowledgeCotton Apparel, the eco-responsible multi-brand Coco Friendly or the outdoor brand Tonton Outdoor which has been active for several months , right in front of the 80 square meter store.

Even though the label has been active for almost half a century, this opening is part of a very recent expansion program. “The brand was created by hiking and trekking enthusiasts. Their idea was to develop very functional products with innovative materials and for mountain enthusiasts… not at all to be cool. They went look for new materials in collaboration with universities and manufacturers, explains Ida Holmen, the brand's communications and marketing manager. The first models were offered in a catalog and customers received pieces to sew themselves. became more technical, they began to produce the finished models, but always with the idea of ​​functionality. The brand grew without really communicating, just among practitioners.

In 2015, founder Peter Askulv sold the brand to a group of investors led by Gonz Ferrero and supported by the Scope fund of Jonas Meerits, the former boss of the J. Lindeberg brand. At the time, the brand, based in the small town of Åre, made nearly 6 million euros in sales overall and assumed its status as a niche eco-responsible outdoor brand.

Today its positioning remains premium, with jackets between 400 and 600 euros and very technical pieces at a higher price in its Expedition line. The label boasts short lines for different practices, focusing on the versatility of its products with key pieces such as insulating jackets and down jackets, but also a proposition for skiing and a wide selection of bags and accessories for trekking. and adventures in the great outdoors.

“We remain a brand for practitioners and are present in a still limited number of multi-brand points of sale which can explain our approach and the technical specificities of our products, explains the marketing director. But today the practitioners are in town, have multiple centers of interest This is why we are opening in London, in Kingsroad in December 2023, in Stockholm in June, in Paris, the fashion capital. Oslo then in Munich These stores are points of sale to present our products, but also to share our approach, to provide experiences to our community and to bring together other know-how. In London we had a painting happening. then the intervention of a biodynamic wine producer We will also initiate this in Paris.” An approach which materializes under the slogan “Crafted for Life”.

Claiming the use of responsible materials, some developed internally, the brand produces in Asia. An area where it has also started to build commercial links for several years and from which it has seen its first successes. “When I arrived five years ago, Klättermusen made 100 million Swedish crowns in sales. Today we are at 300 million, or more than 25 million euros. With strong growth in China where we have 15 points of sales in shopping centers, in Japan where our partner (Sputnik) opened in Tokyo and will open in Sapporo and Kyoto in the coming months and in South Korea.”

A dynamic that the brand intends to maintain with double-digit turnover growth for this year. With the challenge of maintaining the responsible, innovative and technical approach of Klättermusen.