Asics targets lifestyle segment

By

Jean-Paul Leroy

Published
Feb 6, 2015

Unsurprisingly, it’s on Brick Lane, in the trendy London neighborhood of Shoreditch, that the Japanese group Asics decided to relaunch its Asics Tiger brand yesterday on the European market.

A fusion of technological performance and streetwear, the Asics Tiger range has been recreated using iconic models from the group’s archives as well as new, more contemporary models. 

"The European lifestyle market accounts for 4.5 billion euros and we currently represent a small fraction of that amount," said Lisa Hogg, head of brand management, EMEA at Asics. "In the near future, we are aiming to become among the two or three most important players involved in the segment." 

This new goal is being accompanied by a worldwide reorganization of the Asics brand, which will now be segmented into performance, dedicated to sports; Onitsuka Tiger, its fashion range; and Asics Tiger, its lifestyle range: "The reorganization of our range will also be seen in the segmentation of our distribution," added Eric Pelletier, lifestyle manager for France at Asics, "We will thus aim our Onitsuka Tiger brand, which is more fashion-oriented, at high-end stores like le Bon Marché in Paris and Dover Street Market in London, while Asics Tiger, more lifestyle, will be targeted at a more mainstream market." 

Meanwhile, the Asics group is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its Gel-Lyte III shoe model, created by Japanese designer Shigeyuki Mitsui. For the special occasion, Asics has established collaborations with 12 key stores worldwide - one per month- including 4 in Europe. In June, a partnership has already been agreed upon with the store Colette in Paris.

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