Popular e-commerce fitness brand LSKD is set to open doors to its first NZ brick-and-mortar store in late November. While this may be yet another global company setting up shop on Kiwi shores, LSKD Founder Jason Daniel explains why Aotearoa is a major market for his business.
Chatting to a founder about their business is always a unique experience, especially considering how busy they tend to be.
Founder of fitness brand LSKD, Jason Daniel is not exempt from the busy lifestyle, speaking to Idealog while driving to the airport.
“I’ve got a little bit of Kiwi in me, I was born here in Australia but one side of my family is from New Zealand, from Wellington actually,” says Daniel.
But he explains that his heritage wasn’t the main reason for bringing his brand to the busy streets of Takapuna, a suburb on Auckland’s North Shore.
It is because New Zealand is a large part of LSKD, with Kiwis making up $10 million of the brand’s online sales.
As a company with big global aspirations and offices already in the US, New Zealand remains an important market for Daniel for the bigger picture.
“[New Zealand] plays a huge part. It’s why we think, and we believe we will have potentially 10 stores,” he says.
“It is a top country focus for us… the New Zealand community is really supportive so it’s like ‘why don’t we reinvest back into this’.”
A brand that is focused on inspiring people to be 1% better every day, LSKD hasn’t always been a fitness activewear brand. Daniel says it originally focused on the world of Motocross and BMX.
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The name of the brand came from a nickname Daniel received when he was active in the community, ‘Loose Kid’.
Originally a wholesale retailer for life jackets, motocross gloves, socks and more, in 2018, LSKD made a jump into the fitness world after a newfound love for functional fitness.
Since then, it has since surpassed $100 million globally in sales in just five years and the next step now is making its way into New Zealand’s retail space.
“We know there’s demand here, and opening a physical store gives people the chance to touch, feel, and try on the apparel, something online can’t fully replicate. Retail is rebounding in New Zealand, and we’re stoked to be part of that recovery,” says Daniel.
“New Zealand is a country of passionate, driven individuals, and we’re excited to bring LSKD’s mission of inspiring people to be 1% better every day to life here.”
Heading into the New Zealand market, Daniel hopes to replicate the success of community building that the Australian side was able to do.
With many other Australian and global brands that head to New Zealand, the community is often left to the side, says Daniel who is hoping to do the opposite.
He adds that already, the country is enamoured with the world of fitness and so breaking into that is easy.
Daniel says he has already sent one team member to move to New Zealand in a van and begin that process of building a community by connecting with Kiwis from Northland all the way to Christchurch.
LSKD is set to open its first New Zealand store on November 30.
