LEXINGTON, Mass., Jan. 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Sperry Top-Sider, the leading nautical performance and lifestyle footwear brand and inventor of the world's first boat shoe, continues to build on its market momentum through strategic product category expansion beyond footwear. Today the company announced that it has signed five new license agreements to expand Sperry Top-Sider branded products in such new areas as belts, bags, hosiery, eyewear, swimwear and cover-ups, headwear, scarves, gloves and shoe care, among others. The new product collections will launch in Spring 2013 in the brand's wholly owned Sperry Top-Sider specialty retail stores located across the nation, sperrytopsider.com and at premium department stores and additional specialty retailers in the U.S. and Canada.
"These initiatives are critical next steps for Sperry Top-Sider as we aim to connect more broadly with our target consumer and continue our mission to create the leading nautical performance and lifestyle brand across the globe," said Gregg Ribatt, CEO of the Collective Brands' Performance + Lifestyle Group, which oversees the brand.
According to Craig Reingold, Sperry brand president, "We keep hearing from people that love this brand that they want more Sperry products, and through these new licensing agreements and experienced partners, we expect to deliver on consumers' needs across a range of retail stores beginning in Spring 2013 with a broad spectrum of footwear, as well as much-anticipated additional product collections for women and men who share our passion for the sea and the lifestyle that the brand represents."
The new Sperry licensed partnership deals are with Manhattan Beachwear, Inc., one of the largest manufacturers of men's & women's designer swimwear and cover-ups in the U.S.; Renfro Corporation, premier manufacturer and distributor of men's and women's hosiery worldwide; Tandy Brands, renowned manufacturer of men's and women's belts, bags, and leather goods; Interbrand, LLC, a consumer goods company with expertise in headwear, scarves and gloves; and U.S. Continental Marketing, Inc., a leading manufacturer of leather and shoe care products in the U.S.
Additional deals are pending with partners covering such product categories as eyewear and watches, among others.
These partners will work closely with Sperry's design and marketing teams to create their specific product collections. Each partner will be responsible for the marketing and distribution to retailers across the U.S.