Discovery Channel to open flagship clothing stores
Discovery Communications, owner of the Discovery Channel and franchises such as Deadliest Catch, is branching out into retail in a bid to engage with its audience more in the physical world and increase revenues.
The new lifestyle brand, Discovery Expedition, aims to target 20 to 45-year-old men with a range of products including jackets and trousers.
The clothing line will be available on a dedicated e-commerce site, its own flagship retail outlets, concessions in other stores and pop-up shops across Europe and Asia-Pacific from the end of this year. A women’s clothing line is also scheduled for a spring/summer 2012 launch.
The products will also be licensed to retailers and tailored to the “maturity and logistical needs” of different markets around the world.
Nicolas Bonard, senior vice president of Discovery Enterprises International, says the retail strategy reflects the “core DNA” of the Discovery brand, embodying the spirit of adventure, exploration and innovation.
Monthly popular science magazine National Geographic also has a number of retail outlets across the world, including a flagship store in London, selling branded clothing and adventure gear.
Discovery Communications’ revenues rose 18% to $1.1bn (£684m) in the three months to 30 September as the company benefited from increased advertising sales and a rise in fees it receives from TV distributors. The company is the biggest non-fiction broadcaster in the world.
Read a Q&A with Simon Downing, vice president of marketing at Discovery Networks Western Europe, in this week’s Marketing Week magazine, which hits news stands on Thursday 10 November.
