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Since appearing in 2005 at Kate Moss’s feet at Gladstonbury Festival (a happy unofficial endosement) Hunter Boots walked a long way. From the brand management perspective it is a story based on heritage, clever collaborations, brand extension which deserves to be mentioned.
With a turnover in excess of 130 mio euro in 2015, Hunter Boot is controlled since 2011 by Searchlight Capital Partners.
The new management takes carefully control by staying true to the brand’s heritage with a “hero-product strategy”, leveraging on new colors and light maquillage to get the same old Wellington fresh and contemporary. Soft innovation, some can say, but it proves to be strategic move to win new consumers with concept of a rain boot turned to fashion accessory.
Then come collaborations: from the Royal Horticultural Society to Rag & Bone to Jimmy Choo, a clever way to reiterate the brand’s British roots while proposing new aesthetic and diverse price positioning on limited editions. Hunter collaborations are spotted in new light online and at selected retailers, and at cobranders’ stores.
Always keeping an eye on Gladstone and “festival style”, 2016 sees a bold move with brand extension. From wellies to backpacks, outerwear, knitwear, with a diversification in labels: Hunter Original, the contemporary fashion label and the outdoor Hunter Field.
Basic facts and figures are all in the positive: a growth of USA market about +30% last year, the Japan business growing with a second flagship store just opened, online sales increasing in the major wesites in UK, USA and Canada.
And at the end of October a new flagship store will be opened on Regent’s Street, London.
Definitely got out of the mud.
