Barrel, led by CEO Park Young-jun, said it signed an exclusive distribution and export agreement with Tianma Sports on the 24th. The deal reflects a minimum purchase target agreed by both sides and is valued at about 26 billion won based on export prices. Actual shipment volumes and timing will be set sequentially through individual orders, and the companies plan to expand transaction volumes in stages over the contract period based on initial annual supply quantities.
Tianma Sports is a major Chinese sports distributor that handles more than 60 global sports brands, including Nike, Adidas and Under Armour, Barrel said. It has experience operating brand stores on major e-commerce platforms such as Tmall and JD.com, and it runs a 300,000-square-meter smart logistics center that supports nationwide distribution in China.
Barrel said Tianma Sports also has strong marketing capabilities on major Chinese digital platforms including TikTok, Xiaohongshu and WeChat. Barrel plans to use Tianma Sports’ online distribution and local marketing infrastructure to raise brand awareness in China.
Barrel said the agreement is also significant because it marks a shift in how it operates in China. The company plans to move away from a China-subsidiary-led model to a local-partner distribution structure, aiming to reduce fixed costs and inventory risk while improving profitability and scalability.
Barrel said it will prioritize a “Digital First” strategy in China, expanding distribution mainly through key e-commerce platforms such as Tmall and JD.com, then adding offline stores in a phased retail approach.
Under the plan, Barrel said it will broaden placements on major online platforms this year. Starting in 2027, it plans to open standalone stores sequentially in prime commercial districts in major Chinese cities including Shanghai and Beijing.
Barrel said the deal also supports its strategy to expand beyond a swimwear-focused business into athleisure and lifestyle categories. It plans to strengthen product lineups tailored to Chinese consumers, drawing on its product development experience and brand competitiveness in watersports.
The company said it will also pursue localization aimed at key consumer groups in China — those born in the 1990s and 2000s. It plans to expand athleisure and lifestyle products suitable for everyday wear, alongside watersports items, and to strengthen its SMU lineup reflecting local tastes and lifestyle patterns.
A Barrel official said the partnership is “an opportunity to reorganize our China business structure around profitability and scalability,” adding that the company will secure mid- to long-term growth drivers through a phased strategy spanning digital and offline channels and Barrel’s watersports identity.
Separately, Barrel said it has set a mid- to long-term strategy of transforming into a global watersports platform and is diversifying its business portfolio. It said it recently made an indirect investment in global space company SpaceX as it moves to strengthen its foundation for future growth.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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