Joe’s Jeans Adds Distributor for France
Joe’s Jeans, like many Los Angeles clothing companies, has been looking to the international arena to expand its sales.
That got a little easier for the company. It announced on June 19 that it has entered into a multi-year international distribution agreement with Advanced Retail in France.
The agreement will supplement the company’s current distribution agreements in the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy and Russia.
Advanced Retail will continue to operate the shops-in-shop in Galeries Lafayette and Printemps department stores and will take over the company’s office and showroom in Paris.
“By moving to a distribution model, we will reduce corporate overhead and increase profitability while preserving international growth potential,” said Joe’s Jeans President and Chief Executive Marc Crossman in a statement. “We are excited about the future of our international business.”
Joe’s Jeans makes premium-denim jeans with an average price of $170 as well as other apparel and accessories sold at Nordstrom, Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, Dillard’s and the company’s own retail stores.
Joe’s Jeans has seen a gradual uptick in its sales and profit. For the first quarter, which ended Feb. 29, its net sales were $25.9 million, up 23 percent from the same period in 2011. Profits for this year’s first quarter hit $794,000, up more than 400 percent from the same period last year.
Profits increased due primarily to brisk sales of men’s jeans as well as the addition in February of a new brand called Else, a $68 denim pant for women ages 18 to 25. The brand is sold exclusively at Macy’s.
As of Feb. 29, Joe’s Jeans operated five full-priced boutiques and 17 outlet stores with same-store sales rising 22 percent in the first three months of this year.
Recently, Joe’s Jeans announced it is opening a full-priced store at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, Calif. The 1,400-square-foot space, which is the company’s first outlet in Orange County, is expected to open in August.—Deborah Belgum
