Allbirds inks new distribution deals for Southeast Asia, Gulf region

Allbirds Inc. announced it has signed definitive agreements with distributors in the Gulf Countries and Southeast Asia, as the U.S. footwear firm shifts from direct go-to-market to third-party distribution in the region.

Alyasra Fashion, a leading fashion and footwear retailer boasting more than 25 years of experience in the Gulf region, with brands including Jimmy Choo, Cole Haan, and DKNY, will be the exclusive Allbirds distributor in the Gulf countries, while Primer Group will distribute Allbirds’s products across Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Other brands distributed by Asian company include Columbia, Birkenstock, and The North Face.

With these agreements, Allbirds has now completed deals with six international distributors, after shifting to third party models in Japan, Australia, Canada, and South Korea over the past few months.

“We are pleased to be expanding our international presence with industry-leading distributors,” said Annie Mitchell, chief financial officer of Allbirds.

“The addition of these new regions via our distributor model will enable us to leverage the local knowledge and expertise of these distributors to build brand awareness and sales. These agreements highlight the continued progress we’re making against our strategic shift from a direct-go-to-market model to a third-party distributor model in key international geographies.”

The change in distribution news comes on the back of a lacklustre sales update from the San Francisco-based company earlier this month. 

In March, ​Allbirds announced fourth-quarter net revenue decreased 14.5% to $72 million, coinciding with the news that COO Joe Vernachio has been promoted to CEO, effective March 15, as co-founder Joey Zwillinger steps down his role as CEO.