a day ago
Activewear brand LSKD to open Ponsonby store, its fourth in NZ
It currently has 24 stores in Australia, the latest opening in Adelaide, and three stores in New Zealand. The fourth will open in Ponsonby central on August 30.
Daniels hopes to have nine to 10 stores across New Zealand.
'We opened our first store in Takapuna in November last year, and then Christchurch this year in March, and then recently in Mount Maunganui ... I've been over for all of them, and then I'll be over for Ponsonby Central as well,' Daniels said.
'We've really tried to focus on creating something bigger than ourselves, but at the same time, really honing in on the functional fitness community through training, running, and local athletes.'
More than 900 people attended the LSKD opening in Christchurch.
Jason Daniels, CEO and founder of LSKD, says he tries to stay humble as the business has grown. Photo / LSKD
The business has been entirely self-funded.
LSKD has also expanded into the US, with a team of 12 currently based at an office in San Diego, along with a retail store and community room for customers.
The business has a third-party logistics warehouse in Texas set to go live in October, laying the platform for more physical locations across the US.
Scouting locations for the business in the US is Rachel Kosiak, who spent a year driving across the country in a van to help build the brand's New Zealand teams and connect with the communities, before they eventually began launching physical stores.
'It's really cool trying to develop our team and help their careers grow. Whether it's the New Zealand team or the Australian team, the fact that they have an opportunity to travel the world, it's exciting.
'We're starting to see a lot of growth in other countries as well, as we're seeing functional fitness really grow around the world.'
Daniels has big ambitions for the brand and hopes one day it can compete with international sportswear brands across the world.
Although market share wasn't on his mind. The key to success for Daniels is staying grounded and true to the identity of the company, something he said he 'doesn't want to lose'.
'In 2010, when I went fulltime, when I finished being a chippy and I was in my early 20s, I don't think I would have handled it.
'It's very surreal. I didn't expect it to, if I'm honest, to grow this fast. We don't share this too much, but our first five-year goal was to just hit A$10m and be profitable, and stay true to who we are.'
Daniels likened the company's success to that of a sports team like the All Blacks, saying they are only as good as their last game.
Daniels said he couldn't wait for customers to see the Ponsonby central store, which features a mural by local artist Andrew Steele.
Tom Raynel is a multimedia business journalist for the Herald, covering small business, retail and tourism.
