Tokmanni reinforces its clothing product category once again – Buys Catmandoo, the familiar Finnish outdoor clothing brand
Tokmanni Press release 28 April 2023 at 7:50 a.m.
Tokmanni, one of Finland’s most popular clothing retailers*, has agreed to acquire the Finnish outdoor clothing brand Catmandoo and its products from the fashion company Nanso Group. Ownership of Catmandoo will be transferred to Tokmanni by the end of May 2023.
Established in 1974, the Finnish brand Catmandoo is best known for its jackets, trousers, shirts, underwear, mid-layers, footwear and accessories.
Catmandoo is associated with outdoor activities and active lifestyles. The brand was the official apparel of the Finnish Olympic team and a partner of the Finnish freestyle team in the 2010s. Catmandoo is currently a partner of the Finnish Golf Union.
“This is a great opportunity in which to develop the story of the Finnish brand Catmandoo with Tokmanni. Catmandoo will complement our already diverse product offering in the clothing category and strengthen our position as one of the most popular clothing retailers in Finland,” says Timo Karanko, Purchasing Manager, Apparel at Tokmanni.
New products coming soon
The Catmandoo brand will turn 50 next year. Then there will be new products designed and manufactured under Tokmanni’s ownership, says Karanko.
“Our aim is to start planning the Catmandoo assortment soon, and the first Catmandoo products designed at Tokmanni should be available in stores next spring. We will already be launching products designed in Finland included in the Catmandoo acquisition in the coming weeks.”
“The majority of Tokmanni’s private label clothing products have long been designed and sized in Finland. When we design our collections, we want to ensure that our clothing products cater to as many different body types as possible, that they are comfortable to wear and suit the Finnish weather,” Karanko says.
Catmandoo’s textiles were awarded the right to use the Design from Finland label from November 2019. The same label can now be seen on the indoor and outdoor clothing products of many of Tokmanni’s private labels in apparel, such as Pola. The Design from Finland label, awarded by the Association for Finnish Work, indicates that a product or service has been designed in Finland in a professional, responsible and user-oriented way.
“This is how Catmandoo was born. The story of the Catmandoo brand began in 1974, when two freestyle skiers returned home from a trip to Kathmandu in Nepal. During their trip, they realised that they lacked clothing that had materials and properties that would have offered better protection in the variable conditions. When they returned home, they decided to create their own collection that would make outdoor activities and skiing enjoyable, whatever the weather. This is how Catmandoo was born.”
United by sustainability
Catmandoo and Tokmanni have been doing very similar things in their sustainability work. Like Tokmanni, Catmandoo is committed to the ethical principles of amfori BSCI, for example. The purpose of this cooperation is to ensure that products are made under socially and ethically acceptable conditions.
“In high-risk countries, Tokmanni’s private label products are manufactured in amfori BSCI-audited factories – that is, factories audited by third parties. We also carry out our own factory inspections to check not only working conditions but also product quality and the factories’ quality assurance processes,” says Karanko.
* Jaana Kurjenoja (2021): Muotikauppa koronan jälkeen, poimintoja tuloksista (Fashion trade after the pandemic, overview of results), 12 October 2021. [In Finnish] The Finnish Commerce Federation.
kauppa.fi/uutishuone/2021/10/12/muotikauppa-koronan-jalkeen-miten-ala-toipuu-koronan-iskusta
kauppa.fi/lataa/26232
You can read more about Tokmanni’s sustainability work at ir.tokmanni.fi/en/sustainability, and on its private labels and direct imports at ir.tokmanni.fi/en/investors/tokmanni-as-an-investment/private-labels.
TOKMANNI
For further information, please contact:
Timo Karanko
Purchasing Manager, Apparel
Tel. +358 20 728 6519
timo.karanko(at)tokmanni.fi
Maarit Mikkonen
Head of IR and Communications
Tel. +358 40 562 2282
maarit.mikkonen(at)tokmanni.fi
Calls to a corporate number beginning with +358 20 7 from a landline or a mobile phone are EUR 0.0835 per minute + EUR 0.1669 per minute (incl. VAT 24%). Calls from outside Finland are subject to an international call charge.
Tokmanni is Finland’s leading variety discount retailer. Around 4,300 Tokmanni employees make customers’ everyday life and special occasions easier by offering a versatile and up-to-date assortment of Finnish and international brand-name products and other high-quality products at prices that are always affordable. With online stores and more than 200 Tokmanni, Miny, Click Shoes and Shoe House stores, Tokmanni is always close to its customers. In 2022, Tokmanni’s revenue was EUR 1,168 million and comparable EBIT amounted to EUR 86 million. Tokmanni's shares are listed on Nasdaq Helsinki.
