ITOCHU Textile Trading Co., Ltd. (hereinafter "ITOCHU Textile Trading"), a Chinese subsidiary of ITOCHU Corporation, has acquired exclusive sales rights in China for PrimaLoft, an ultra-fine microfiber material manufactured by PrimaLoft, Inc. of the United States, for apparel and apparel accessories.
ITOCHU Corporation acquired exclusive sales rights and trademark usage rights for PrimaLoft in the bedding sector in the Japanese market in 2000. Since then, ITOCHU Corporation has built a strong relationship of trust and a proven track record as a partner of PrimaLoft, leading to the conclusion of this agreement. Going forward, through ITOCHU Textile Trading, ITOCHU Corporation will actively expand PrimaLoft's presence in China by cultivating new sales channels in addition to its existing sales channels for materials and products to Chinese apparel brands, which is its strength, and will aim to achieve sales of approximately 100 million yuan (approximately 1.7 billion yen, based on retail prices) in the Chinese market within three years.
Primaloft was developed in the early 1980s by Albany International Corp., a company that manufactured insulation for the space shuttle. The U.S. military, which previously used natural down as the filling for sleeping bags and jackets, found that the warmth of the material decreased when camping in snowy mountains or in rainy weather. They requested Albany to develop a new material, and Primaloft was born, combining warmth, flexibility, and water repellency. Today, as an alternative to premium goose down, it is used not only in sleeping bags and bedding, but also in down jackets from famous sports brands and luxury apparel brands. Primaloft, which became independent from Albany in 2012, is responsible for the Primaloft business, and from the fall/winter 2014 season, the brand logo and product names will be unified worldwide to promote the brand image.
ITOCHU Corporation acquired exclusive sales rights and trademark usage rights for PrimaLoft in the bedding sector in the Japanese market in 2000. Since then, ITOCHU Corporation has built a strong relationship of trust and a proven track record as a partner of PrimaLoft, leading to the conclusion of this agreement. Going forward, through ITOCHU Textile Trading, ITOCHU Corporation will actively expand PrimaLoft's presence in China by cultivating new sales channels in addition to its existing sales channels for materials and products to Chinese apparel brands, which is its strength, and will aim to achieve sales of approximately 100 million yuan (approximately 1.7 billion yen, based on retail prices) in the Chinese market within three years.
Primaloft was developed in the early 1980s by Albany International Corp., a company that manufactured insulation for the space shuttle. The U.S. military, which previously used natural down as the filling for sleeping bags and jackets, found that the warmth of the material decreased when camping in snowy mountains or in rainy weather. They requested Albany to develop a new material, and Primaloft was born, combining warmth, flexibility, and water repellency. Today, as an alternative to premium goose down, it is used not only in sleeping bags and bedding, but also in down jackets from famous sports brands and luxury apparel brands. Primaloft, which became independent from Albany in 2012, is responsible for the Primaloft business, and from the fall/winter 2014 season, the brand logo and product names will be unified worldwide to promote the brand image.
