Rounding up a major reorganization of its European sales network, L-Fashion Group has hired a country manager for Switzerland with a good pedigree to drive sales of its Icepeak and Luhta brands as well as Li-Ning, the Chinese brand that the Finnish group has had the right to distribute in many European countries for a year.
The new man on board is Andreas Schmocker, who was general manager of Puma in Switzerland until recently. Prior to that, until 2008, he ran Salewa in the country. Schmocker is assuming the new role just in time for the Ispo trade show.
TLM Modeagentur Müller will continue as Icepeak's Swiss agent, under Schmocker's supervision. For Luhta and Li-Ning, Schmocker will open a showroom, hire salespeople and set up a service structure as soon as possible.
As a measure of its commitment to Li-Ning, L-Fashion already has four sales employees in place for the Chinese brand in France, five in Germany and Austria, two in Finland and two in Russia. The group has also appointed two dedicated product managers for Li-Ning footwear and accessories as well as apparel at its head office in Helsinki.
Meanwhile, Juha Luhtanen, sales director of L-Fashion Group, has hired or promoted country managers in other European countries in the last few months, making them responsible for local sales strategies, organization and profits for all of the brands marketed by the group in each market.
He started last July with the promotion of Ingo Jost as country manager for all the brands of the group in Germany and Austria, including Li-Ning. He had already done a good job with Icepeak. Reporting to him, Dieter Schott, formerly responsible for the Luhta brand in the region, was made business development manager for Icepeak, Luhta and Li-Ning in Germany and Austria.
Shortly after, Luhtanen hired an experienced country manager for France, Alexandre Rolland, who had previously worked as national sales manager for Nike in the country, and opened a showroom for all its brands in a suburb of Paris. He is now aided by a key accounts manager for Li-Ning, Jonathan Vivian, and by others. Previously, L-Fashion covered the country through two independent sales agents, one for Luhta and the other for Icepeak, who are now reporting to Rolland.
In the Netherlands, L-Fashion has expanded the contract it had for Icepeak with its Dutch agent, Remco Pelser of Pelser Sport, making him also responsible for managing sales of Li-Ning in the country, assisted by a dedicated sales employee for the Chinese brand. Pelser continues to represent Icepeak in the country, while his father, Marcel, continues to represent Luhta.
Mitja Piber, who has been selling Icepeak and Luhta in Slovenia and Croatia, has added the representation of Li-Ning. In Finland, Pasi Alakoski has been named as sales manager for Li-Ning.
L-Fashion estimates that its total sales grew by around 8 percent last year from 2010, when they reached €249.3 million, of which €134 million were generated outside Finland. Company officials indicate that the group was on target in terms of spring/summer 2012 orders for Li-Ning, but the new sales structure is certain to boost the turnover for the fall/winter season. The brand will get a lot of visibility as the sponsor of the European Athletics Championships in Helsinki next June, just before the Olympic Games in London.
