Isbjörn of Sweden Reports Sustainable Growth

Premium and sustainable outdoor kidswear brand Isbjörn of Sweden announced a 20 percent year-on-year global growth to April 2022. Recently acquired by Online Brands Nordic AB, which will provide a strong financial backbone for further sustainable growth, Isbjörn also reported a healthy EBITDA of more than 11 percent.

Committed to achieving its pledge in accordance with the UN 2050 1.5 degrees Climate Commitment, Isbjörn attributes part of its success to “proper planning and a positive focused mindset to be as slow fashion as we possibly can be, without any compromise on the durability or performance of our long-lasting apparel” said Isbjörn CEO Maria Frykman, “For example, we are now able to add recycled nylon to our hard shell outer products, but this has taken some time to achieve as we will absolutely never compromise on performance. Our products are designed to last for many years, decades even, and be passed on to younger siblings and friends.”

Available in Asia, Europe and North America, Isbjörn also has focused on e-commerce and digitalization to become a leading omnichannel player in the kids and teens outdoor sector. This will continue to grow with the international e-commerce expertise of Online Brands Nordic AB.

But it is sustainability that sets Isbjörn apart, and this has been apparent since the start of the company back in 2005. Frykman sent a message to apparel brands that put profit before sustainability: “We are growing steadily and making a healthy profit which is great, but speedy growth has never been a priority for us. More fast-fashion companies are now in decline because they have not prioritized their environmental strategy and have taken wrong decisions early on. It is more costly to be sustainable and you must run a healthy business to achieve environmental goals. Many fast fashion products are cheaply priced and therefore sustainably low. If the companies manufacturing these products are suddenly forced to raise the sustainability bar, they have to either increase the retail price or suffer lower margins. Our DNA from the start has always been to protect children, teenagers and the planet – this is why Isbjörn has enjoyed consistent sustainable growth over many years. Our sustainability road map is clearly set and as a team we’re committed to becoming fully circular by 2030, going completely microplastic-free by 2026 and achieving Net Zero by latest 2045.”

With FW22 bulk production-ready to ship and a strong order book for its SS23 collection, Isbjörn is already six months ahead on FW23 production plans compared to previous years.