Following intense networking in the USA, the Swedish kayak producer is now ready take on the North American market.
âWe felt incredibly welcome, and several important pieces have now fallen into place. The timing is perfect for usâ, says Pelle Stafshede CEO & Creative Director, Melker of Sweden.
After a successful two-week trip to the USA, the team of Melker of Sweden can announce their first US flagship store and several key reseller partnerships. It marks the starting point for a large-scale launch in North America, initially focusing on the area around the Great Lakes. Melker of Sweden has already set up a hub in Chicago that will enable larger shipments from Sweden.
âIt will allow us to work closer with our retailers and offer the possibility to restock during the seasonâ, says Pelle Stafshede.
One of the new resellers, Earthâs Edge, is excited for the upcoming partnership.
âOur customers trust us to carry the best brands in outdoor, so weâre very excited to partner with Melker of Sweden to carry their beautiful line of kayaks! We believe that their beautiful design, their unique approach to sustainable materials, and their incredible technical details will make them a hit with our customers. We appreciate all of the time and effort Pelle has put into building this partnership and we look forward to working togetherâ, says Karl Tucker, Founder & CEO, Earthâs Edge.
During the time in the USA the Melker team also showcased their products during Canoecopia â the worldâs largest paddle expo.
âWe got an incredible warm welcome, and a lot of visitors were fascinated with our kayakâs unique design, how we work with sustainability, and continuing efforts to innovate and break conventions. Weâre extremely happy, and it gives us a lot of energy for our launch.â
Another energy boost came from one of the most influential people in all of paddle sport â Darren Bush from Rutabaga Paddelsports.
I met Melker of Sweden at a trade fair in Germany a few years ago. Having been in the paddle sports industry for over 30 years itâs not often that a product really catches my attention. Melkers beautiful sea kayaks definitely caught my attention. Now we got to meet them again and the kayaks were just as pretty, and they had improved their tech significantly. We pulled the trigger! It feels great to have Melker kayaks in our storesâ, says Darren Bush.
The launch in North America also comes with significant marketing investments and Melker of Sweden has been fortunate to create partnerships with important ambassadors that will help get the message out.
âItâs a mix of individuals with strong national and local presence, authentic influencers on the water that you canât miss. We are also fortunate to have reached a point where people get in touch with us and want to discuss collaborations, people that see paddling as a lifestyleâ, says Pelle Stafshede.
The first step of the North America launch is focus on the area around the Great Lakes but plans to replicate it in Canada and on the west and east coast of the USA are already in place. The Melker team will return to North America in June this year to focus on Canada.
