Scan Magazine

By Signe Hansen | Photos: Courtesy of Hummel

Hummel, the oldest sportswear brand in the world, is definitely not resting on its laurels. The brand’s characteristic colourful, chevron-marked clothing keeps being renewed and re-used and with great success. This year Hummel Kids Clothing is launching in the UK as the brand’s popularity keeps growing.

Founded in Germany in 1923, Hummel gradually shifted ownership; in 1980 it was a 100 per cent Danish company and just three years later the brand was the biggest in sports clothing on the Danish market. Today Hummel is present in more than 40 countries around the world and has won numerous design awards – including the prestigious Global Style award in 2007.

Hummel’s chevrons – everywhere

Hummel’s widespread fame and popularity is to a great extent based on the company’s unique and visible profile in team sports; the Danish national football team, for instance, wore their kit at the victorious European championship in 1992. But the many international celebrities, like Jennifer Lopez and Melanie C, who have a weakness for the brand’s retro look, have also caused many a teenager to dig out and pull on their parents’ old Hummel tracksuit.

Hummel’s UK brand manager Kevin Batchelor says: “Our foundations are built on teamsports which mainly include Football and Handball. But towards the end of the 90s the company started to move into the fashion sector more and more using retro-inspired clothing from our heritage/back catalogues and placing them on celebs and cool dj’s.”

Since then Hummel has also branched out into Fashion Footwear, which is growing very quickly internationally, and more recently they launched Kids Clothing in DK which is becoming a huge success. “The growth is most importantly of all down to a fabulous product mix which keeps evolving season after season and is the reason more customers and territories want to get involved!” Batchelor stresses.

Karma and TEAM spirit

Today Hummel is owned by its Chairman Christian Stadil, who bought the company in 1999. He is one of Denmark’s most well-known businessmen partly because of his success, but also because of his spiritual engagement and monk-like appearance – he is a self-declared Buddhist. His spiritual belief is also, explains Batchelor, reflected in the company’s approach to business. “We believe in Company Karma and try to give back where possible. We support many charities and make sponsorships that can make a difference, such as in Sierra Leone where the infant mortality rate is the worst in the world. We donate funds from the proceeds of sales back to Sierra Leone where it is needed most,” he says, adding: “Rather than being political we are just trying to help kit people out to play sport and get some enjoyment and wellbeing into their lives. Yes, we need to survive in business also, but we still have a corporate social responsibility which we take extremely seriously.”

Conquering the UK

The brand first saw UK ground in 1980 when it established itself as a football kit brand with some high profile sponsorships. Later, however, it experienced some turbulent years with third party license holders, and in 2004 it was decided that Hummel International should have its own company over here. Since then the brand has steadily been expanding and today Hummel is represented in more than 300 sports retailers and team sports specialists across the UK and Ireland. They also have over 100 stores across the UK stocking either fashion clothing, Fashion Footwear or both. “This year will also see some kids’ stores stocking Hummel in the UK for the first time, so it’s exciting times for us,” says Batchelor.

A global Hummel

The International group, of which Hummel UK is part, has been steadily growing at a rate of 30 per cent for the past three years; an impressive achievement considering the economic downturn. But the plans for the future are even greater, says Batchelor. “The Goal is to be the most exciting team sport brand in the world – a recognised International Sports brand across the world. We very much have our heritage in Denmark, Germany and Scandinavia, but we have some exciting projects taking place in North America, the Far East and right across Europe, so hopefully in the not too distant future Hummel will be on the global map!”