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diving letter:
- As Allbirds expands its wholesale reach, the direct-to-consumer brand is partnering with REI to sell their shoes. Select Allbirds products are sold in 41 REI stores and on the retailer’s website, according to details emailed to Retail Dive Tuesday.
- The range includes Allbirds’ Tree Flyer running shoe, which debuted this summer, as well as the company’s trail runner and some of its more casual shoes, like the iconic wool runner.
- Allbirds in May wholesale entered through two deals, with Zalando and Public Lands. The brand has since expanded its retail partners to belong to Nordstromamong other.
Dive insight:
It wasn’t long ago that Allbirds was a DTC only brand. The company in February announced that they wanted to enter the wholesale business As it strives for “sustained profitability,” its US partner roster now includes three major retailers: Public Lands (owned by Dick’s Sporting Goods), Nordstrom and REI.
“The two brands, who share a focus on sustainability for better business, are coming together to offer REI customers more sustainable footwear options,” a spokesperson said via email. The company added that the REI partnership supports Allbirds’ “sustained growth plans to build brand awareness and reach more customers both online and offline.”
Co-CEO Joey Zwillinger said in February the brand will be methodical in entering wholesale, describing the strategy as “proactive and deliberate.” The executive emphasized that Allbirds would only work with “premium locations” that are “brand additive,” noting that expanding its wholesale network would allow the company to increase brand awareness.
Allbirds isn’t the only sporty lifestyle brand that REI has consulted to expand its range: the company Partnership with Athleta a year ago to bring a selection of the brand’s products to 135 stores and also sold DTC brand Vuori in shops.
In addition to expanding its wholesale list, Allbirds Expansion of the own shop fleet, with a total of 55 stationary markets (as of the end of September). Business is doing well so far: Zwillinger said in May the company’s U.S. operations “grew well over 150%” in the first quarter and was the company’s biggest growth driver.
In the last two years, Allbirds has quickly left its shoe roots behind, 2020 enter the apparel space and Introducing an activewear line in 2021 what it looks like by scale. At the same time, the brand was plagued by mounting losses and was among a string of retailers to do so laid off staff in the summer. In August, Allbirds also scaled back its apparel strategy, announcing it would “simplify” its approach in this category. This included focusing on fundamentals and Sunsetting his leggings.
