Fossil is focused on building its image as a fashion lifestyle brand and is set to take steps to streamline its global business in 2012.
Fossil Inc was founded by brothers Tom and Kosta Kartsotis in 1984 when fashion watches were gaining traction as part of the range of accessories offered in department stores. The company, headquartered in Richardson near Dallas, US, launched its first watch collection the following year.
Today, Fossil Inc offers an extensive range of watches and lifestyle products such as jewellery, eyewear, small leather goods, bags, shoes and apparel under its Fossil brand label. The brand products are sold in over 100 countries worldwide, in department and variety stores, in Fossil Stores, via its websites www.fossil.com, www.fossil.co.uk and www.fossil.de, as well as by selected mail order companies.
Besides its own Fossil accessories and apparel as well as the own-brand Zodiac and Michele, Fossil (Europe) GmbH – the European subsidiary of Fossil Inc, headquartered in Basel Switzerland – also offers licensed watches and jewellery from leading fashion and luxury brands such as Adidas, Burberry, Emporio Armani, Diesel, DKNY, Marc by Marc Jacobs, and Michael Kors.
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Fossil is focused on presenting a consistent brand image that is recognisable in every country |
The company’s travel retail presence comprises Fossil Stores as well as shop-in-shops in airports, and its partners include Heinemann, The Nuance Group and Dufry. It is now limiting its presence on airlines to concentrate on its groundshop business, Fossil (Europe) GmbH Division Manager – Travel Retail EMEA Markets Birgit Battistuzzi revealed to The Moodie Report: “We want to focus on our POS at the airports because there we can make a bigger impact on our end consumers with our shop-in-shop systems and big visuals.”
Fossil has a clear strategy for its brand communication – “˜Speak one voice’. All communication measures such as print advertisements, catalogues, flyers, displays, decoration materials, giveaways, shop-in-shop systems, trade show booths and trade promotions as well as PR campaigns are coordinated with the current campaign and the corporate identity as well as with the corporate design.
In line with presenting a consistent brand image that is recognisable in every country, Fossil is working on a global product assortment for travel retail, Battistuzzi said. The assortment will cover all the product categories and all its brands, including licensed brands.
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Fossil Stores, numbering over 350 around the world, are designed to reflect a “˜modern vintage’ aesthetic |
The identity of the Fossil lifestyle brand is rooted in what the company calls a “˜modern vintage’ style which combines the classical with contemporary elements. This vintage theme is strongly reflected in Fossil Stores, where interior furnishings combine modern design with elements of the past. There are currently more than 350 Fossil Stores worldwide – over 200 in the US and about 100 in Europe – with more openings being planned for the next few years.
The main focus for 2012 for Fossil is its distribution footprint, Battistuzzi underlined. The company is analysing all its current locations and points of sale, zooming in on the most important ones and even closing down those that do not fit into the brand building strategy. This streamlining exercise will be on done on a global scale, Battistuzzi added.
In building its brand image Fossil keeps in mind its target consumers, personified by the youthful, stylish characters “˜Mark & Julie’.
Jolly Be Good: 2011 Holiday Season
For the 2011 holiday season, Fossil has taken some of its popular styles and reinvented them in bold hues and rich textures.
Its key gift platforms feature original hardware, vintage-inspired detailing, and subtle embellishments designed to strike a balance between classic and chic. These are complemented by a range of items such as tech covers, camera cases, wallets and watch boxes that can be used to personalise the gifting experience.
Click through the picture gallery below to view highlights from the collection.
For more information, contact Fossil (Europe) GmbH, tel: +49 (0) 8661 622 6000, fax: +49 (0) 8661 622 7000, or e-mail: info@fossil.de.
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