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Mustad has taken its distribution across the UK and Ireland in-house following the decision of Leeda to cease operating as a general wholesaler of third party brands.
The iconic Norwegian hookmaker is one of the businesses affected by the UK company’s decision to concentrate on its own brands, which include Leeda, MAP and Wychwood.
Mustad CEO, Arild Aakre (below), told Angling International: “We strongly believe that the Mustad brand has a role to play in the UK market and as the biggest hook brand in the world, our plan is to serve it directly to be competitive both in pricing and services.
“Discussions with Leeda following its decision have been open and professional as you would expect when a business relationship lasting 29 years ends.
“Having said that, we have not been satisfied with the development over the last few years as we have experienced growth in most of Europe, while we have seen a decline in the UK.
“We do see great potential in one of the biggest and most exciting markets in the world.”
Mepps, which has been distributed by Leeda for over two decades, has appointed Dennett Outdoor as its representative in the UK for the next year. Rodolphe Jacques, Director General of the French spinner brand, said: “Leeda has always been an excellent partner for Mepps.
“However, after its integration into the Madison group, we felt there was a stronger focus on its own brands. I fully understand this strategy when you are part of such a large company. But from our perspective we need a partner more focused on our brands and Dennett Outdoor has proved to be perfectly aligned with us, as demonstrated by the significant growth of Mepps sales in the Republic of Ireland over the past few years.
“The UK market has always been important and challenging. Anglers are very demanding and have always responded well to our spinners. It is dominated by trout and salmon fishing which is perfectly suited to our products. Together with Dennett, we are expecting a steady and significant increase in our market share in the years to come, with new products currently in development.
“I would like to thank Leeda for its support over the years and wish it well with its new strategy.”
Dominic Langan (above), CEO of Leeda, said: “This decision has been made with the long-term health and growth of our business in mind. By concentrating all our efforts and investment behind our own brands, we will be able to innovate more effectively, accelerate product development and deliver an even higher level of service and support to our core customers.”
