As early as the beginning of October, the duo took over the company's Swedish flagship store on Gamla Brogatan 23 in Stockholm, as well as the Swedish e-commerce platform at redwingstockholm.com. Jerker Levin, who previously served as CEO of the interior design chain Lagerhaus, which he acquired in a high-profile deal, will be the new CEO of Red Wing Stockholm.
In addition to his time at Lagerhaus, Jerker Levin was also involved in building up the clothing brand Nudie Jeans and worked as Sales Director at MQ. Today, he is also CEO of the assistive device chain Keepon.
Now, the task awaits to lead the established shoe brand's investment in its home market, states Jerker Levin:
Red Wing is a perfect brand for the Swedish market. Partly because they are robust shoes that can withstand the weather, and partly because they are shoes that are made to be repaired for decades. If you invest in a pair of Red Wing shoes, you have bought yourself a friend for life.
Major Investment in Digital Business
Together with his partner Magnus Carlsson, the plan is now to scale up the business significantly. The investment will be made both through the physical flagship store in Stockholm and, above all, by scaling up the digital business at redwingstockholm.com.
Magnus Carlsson runs the advertising and PR agency Firetiger on a daily basis and has extensive experience working with brands such as Icebug, Miss Mary and Continental. He sees good opportunities to boost sales in the Swedish market, explains Magnus Carlsson:
We are experts at scaling businesses, and here we see that all the tools are in place for high, sustainable growth. We really look forward to getting more people to discover what a fantastic brand Red Wing is.
Over 500 Stores Globally
Red Wing Shoes has been manufacturing handmade boots and shoes in American Minnesota since 1905 and today has over 500 of its own stores globally. From the European headquarters, they welcome the Swedish market now being taken over by local entrepreneurs, says Dominik Högger, European Retail Manager at Red Wing:
We were incredibly pleased when Magnus and Jerker showed interest in Red Wing. They have deep expertise in both physical retail and e-commerce, which is exactly what we need in Sweden.