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AFTCO from California says it is capitalising on the wide appeal of US culture amongst Japanese consumers to build a growing business for its clothing ranges.
In what could be a lesson for other US brands, three years after setting up a deal to enter Japan AFTCO says it is meetings its sales targets, not by making big changes to its product lines but instead by ‘leaning in‘ to its classic American designs and branding.
“Not only do Japanese consumers appreciate US culture, they have an even greater affinity for the Californian lifestyle,” AFTCO President Casey Shedd told Angling International days after AFTCO made its first ever appearance on the show floor at the Osaka Fishing Show in February.
“Anglers in Japan appreciate functional outdoor apparel, just like our US consumers, but we also get sales from Japanese consumers that are driven by fashion. They like wearing US-style clothing.
“Our distribution partners in Japan, Sunline, suggested we would go well over there and they are being proved right. We haven’t had to alter our brand position. In fact, we have leaned in to it with US-style hang-tags and labelling.
“The arrangement is perfect. We provide the marketing expertise and we allow Sunline to play to its strength, which is leveraging its relationships with the retailers in Japan. Just about the only thing they have asked to change is the sizes.
“We expected a slow burn but as we enter our third year of shipping we are meeting the targets we set for ourselves.”
The relationship between AFTCO and Sunline is longstanding. Best known for its fishing lines, Sunline has been a regular supplier to AFTCO of fluorocarbons for the American saltwater market.
Representing AFTCO on the show floor in Osaka, Sunline’s Senior Associate in International Sales, Tatsushi Sumida, told Angling International: “The deal for Japan has been in place for three years and we have previously exhibited at the Yokohama Show, but 2025 is the first time we have had an AFTCO booth in Osaka.
“It’s a different region and fits our strategy of growing awareness across Japan. We were confident AFTCO would appeal to Japanese consumers and it is going as well as we hoped.”
AFTCO is best known for cooling and protective outerwear for days on the deck. In the USA it sells beyond the saltwater fishing market by appealing to anyone interested in outdoor recreation. “AFTCO is for anyone that wants good quality leisurewear. Even if they are not anglers, they understand that if their AFTCO shirt works in exposed conditions on deck, it will also be great for a fun day out in the sun whatever the activity.
“Outside the USA, we sell well in places where there is an outdoor leisure culture, such as Latin America and the Caribbean. And we are definitely open to talk with distributors in Europe and neighbouring territories.”
Sunline says it has no plans as yet to add more international brands to its catalogue in Japan. “We want to get it right with AFTCO first,” added Sumida. Its own export objectives for its lines include growing sales in Africa and South America.
