ITOCHU Announces Acquisition of Master License Rights for FRUIT OF THE LOOM Brand in Japan and Asia

June 7, 2024

ITOCHU Corporation (headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo; Keita Ishii, President & COO; hereinafter “ITOCHU”) announced today that it has acquired master licensing rights in Asia, including the Japanese market, for FRUIT OF THE LOOM®, the U.S. apparel and underwear brand owned by Fruit of The Loom, Inc. (headquartered in Bowling Green, Kentucky, the U.S.; Jeff Cohen, CEO)

Through the new partnership, ITOCHU aims to achieve sales of 20 billion yen on a retail sales basis in five years by utilizing its global network to expand the business not only in the Japanese market, but also in the Asian market as well.

About FRUIT OF THE LOOM®

Fruit of The Loom, Inc. is one of the largest basic apparel companies in the world with approximately 20,000 employees in 20 countries. For more than 170 years, the FRUIT OF THE LOOM® brand has been associated with basic apparel essential to people's lives. The brand's iconic fruit logo is embedded in everyday life that it is said that there is no one in the U.S. who does not know it. FRUIT OF THE LOOM® products, created with the keywords “comfortable lifestyle goods for everyone,” are loved in more than 60 countries around the world, transcending genres, ages, and genders.

Future Development

Under the management policy “The Brand-new Deal:～Profit opportunities are shifting downstream～” ITOCHU will expand its business domain by developing and evolving downstream businesses that are closer to consumers to meet diversifying needs in line with changes in society. In addition to a “market oriented” focus, we will leverage the experience and know-how we have accumulated over many years in the brand business to enhance the value of FRUIT OF THE LOOM®.