Australian wholesaler Designer Gifts for Men (DGFM) has extended its range with Japanese brand Mondo, after being contacted by the company, which was looking for international distributorship at the end of last year.
“We saw 2014 as the year for more organic growth for our business,” says Anne Ring, DGFM’s owner. “We were looking to extend our range of well designed, quality gifts for men, right at the time when Mondo was also looking to extend into new international markets.
“We showed the Mondo range to a very good retail client of ours, one whose opinion on market potential we respected. That client was impressed, as we were by the range and how it fitted with the brands we already had, so that extra nod was enough to cement our decision to add Mondo to our portfolio.”
DGFM was looking for a new brand in Europe that fit its niche in the Australian market, attending trade fairs such as Top Drawer in London and Ambiente in Frankfurt. At the latter, the partner country this year was Japan, and Mondo was exhibiting, so they were beginning to think it was meant to be, says Ring.
“Mondo is the perfect fit for DGFM for a number of reasons. Firstly I think because the range has a male designer behind it, the products are understated in terms of form (or design) and yet they have some surprising additional functions … the sorts of things that men like. For example, the Thermo displays time, date, minimum and maximum temperature and minimum and maximum humidity. Men like their gadgets, but simple ones where the design doesn’t get in the way of the function. Mondo does that well.
“It also fits because Mondo has a designer behind the range. We are ‘designer’ gifts … not any old gifts, so we try to ensure there is be a good element of design behind the ones we carry. The fact that six of the Mondo products won Red Dot Design Awards in Germany in 2013 was a big plus in that regard.”
While feedback has been very positive, Ring says the current colours in the range are very Japanese and they will have to wait and see how they will be received in the Australian market.
“If some are not well received, then whilst at Ambiente, I took the opportunity to explain to Mondo what the Trends section in The Gallerie was. I provided them with the Trends magazine that was available at Ambiente and they are open to consider other colourways if that becomes necessary.”
Clients were able to see the brand first hand at Home and Giving earlier this year, and the range will be in stores at the beginning of April.
