ITOCHU Corporation (headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo; Keita Ishii, President & COO; hereinafter “ITOCHU”) announced today that it has acquired the exclusive rights to import and sell British lifestyle brand Barbour in the Japanese market. ITOCHU will begin marketing the brand in the Japanese market from the fall/winter season of 2022, with Barbour partners Japan K.K. (headquartered in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Hiroto Hamada, President; hereinafter “Barbour partners Japan”) as the sales agent.

Barbour is a British lifestyle brand founded in the port town of South Shields, England, by John Barbour in 1894. The brand began manufacturing durable waxed cotton coats to protect workers from the cold wind and rain in the harsh climate of the North Sea. In addition to superb functionality, the elegant design with corduroy on the collar and coloring that matches the English countryside has made the brand a favorite among royalty and aristocrats, who seek dignified attire even during outdoor activities. The Barbour jacket has been widely worn by the British aristocracy while horseback riding, hunting, and engaging in other sports activities. Today, 128 years on since its establishment, the Barbour brand has been handed through the generations of the Barbour family and has continued to provide functional products that suit a variety of lifestyles around the world.

ITOCHU, together with Barbour partners Japan, will strive to expand the Barbour business by leveraging its market-oriented perspective and the experience and expertise it has accumulated over many years in the brand business. ITOCHU will widely promote the worldview of Barbour as a lifestyle brand and increase brand recognition by entering not only the men's market but also the women's market and strengthening the range of apparel offerings. The company aims to achieve sales of 10 billion yen on a retail basis in five years.