LONDON — Pringle is making inroads in the U.S. and Japan, and plans flagships in both countries.
Douglas Fang, the brand’s new chief executive officer, told WWD the company finally had found a site for its first Manhattan flagship. He is about to sign the deal, and plans to open the store next year. Pringle has been looking for the past few years for a store location in Manhattan, and already has a showroom there.
The company is also ramping up its presence in Japan, and has set up a new company, Pringle Japan K.K., to deal with demand in that market. Fang said the company had named Shigeo Matsutani, 51, ceo of the new venture.
Matsutani, previously executive director of Sann Freres S.A., Pringle’s former distributor in Japan, will report directly to Fang.
“Japan has been an important market for us for the past five years. We’ve done exceptionally well there and we’re ready to step up our efforts,” said Fang. “We’re fortunate to have some very capable individuals at the new company. I have a lot of respect for, and confidence in, Mr. Matsutani; he is a true leader.”
Fang said Pringle was not seeing the sort of slowdown other fashion and luxury labels were experiencing in Japan. “We are in growth mode — and, don’t forget, we’re smaller than a lot of other brands in the market. Japan still makes up a small percentage of [Pringle’s] sales,” he said.
Pringle has a 2,000-square-foot, stand-alone store in Ayoyama that carries both Collection and Red Label. In 2008, the company plans to open a separate flagship that will carry the Collection label exclusively. The label also is sold at department stores and specialty shops in Japan.
Fang said the Japanese were embracing Pringle’s Scottish heritage, and the iconic argyle weave and lion logo. “We’ve also found the Japanese customers are very interested in this new era of Pringle — and they love playing with color,” he said.