BERLIN — Well known among the celebrity crowd, and a staple in Europe, Zimmerli is out to make the U.S. its number-one market.
American stars such as Jennifer Aniston, Drew Barrymore, Halle Berry, Jennifer Garner, Sarah Jessica Parker, Meg Ryan, Nicolas Cage, Kevin Costner, Keanu Reeves, Will Smith and Sylvester Stallone have all worn the Swiss ribbed-knit underwear, so the company would like to turn their fans into buyers of the line, as well.
“We are not the biggest underwear producer in Europe, and we focus only on the top level, but our business is quite considerable,” said Marcel Hossli, chief executive officer of the Aarburg, Switzerland-based company.
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Europe is Zimmerli’s main turf, and Switzerland is the leading market, joined by a strong presence in France.
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“I always say Paris is the Zimmerli capital of the world,” Hossli said. “We don’t sell more Zimmerli products in any other city.”
Sales are growing rapidly in Germany, Russia is also important and there are prestigious points of sale in England, such as Selfridges. The U.S. currently ranks fourth in Zimmerli’s market lineup, “but we think it will be number one in the next five years,” Hossli told WWD, powered by the women’s lines.
Now in its 140th year, Zimmerli has sold its men’s range in the U.S. for more than a century. The top-of-the-line undershirts and briefs are carried in Barneys New York, Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus, as well as by online specialists like Customshirt1.com and undewearoptions.com. Women have also been able to turn to both sites, as well as to a handful of specialty stores like Peress on Madison Avenue in Manhattan or Donna Lewis in Alexandria, Va.
In an effort to expand U.S. distribution and make it the brand’s top market, Zimmerli has signed CMK Distinctive Brands, whose founder, Cindy Kelly, was managing director of Hanro in the U.S. and also introduced Chantelle into the American market, to be its exclusive representative. Hossli noted extensive market research indicated the brand’s high-tier positioning is ripe for the American market.
“Americans love quality and can identify with Swiss values,” he added.
Moreover, although Zimmerli’s camisoles represent an investment in a so-called basic item, “they’re not pure underwear. Women like to show them off, worn under a blazer or a cardigan.”
The main target and strategy is building up distribution at the nation’s most upscale department and specialty stores. Zimmerli now has a showroom in the Empire State Building in Manhattan and will exhibit at the Curve trade shows in New York and Las Vegas.
He wouldn’t be specific, but Hossli placed Zimmerli’s dollar volume in “the double-digit millions.” The core product is fine ribbed-knit underwear in natural fibers spun and knitted in Switzerland, often accented with Swiss lace, and cut, sewn and hand-finished by 50 seamstresses at Zimmerli’s factory in the Swiss canton of Tessin. This all has its price. Undershirts and camisoles range between 50 and 150 euros in Europe, with panties starting at about 50 euros. In the U.S., tops retail between $75 and $140, and panties from $38 to $90.
Men’s styles generate about 70 percent of sales, but the women’s collection is now growing rapidly, Hossli said. It encompasses in-stock basics, which he said contribute the major share of sales, two seasonal collections and special ranges like last year’s Homage to Pauline line, named for the company’s founder.
Globally, Zimmerli is also expanding into new product categories with the fall 2011 launch of the Womanity Shirt Collection in fine cotton and silk knit.
He suggested Womanity “will bring the Zimmerli name to new customers, and while we know we’re pretty expensive when it comes to underwear, as [ready-to-wear] we’re not that expensive anymore.”