photo by Caitlin Abrams
Askov
Askov Finlayson store in Minneapolis
It seems like it was just yesterday that men's retailer Askov Finlayson reopened its doors after rolling out a new storefront, on-boarding a new technical design director, and announcing plans to expand its wholesale strategy. Now, Askov is making what feels like the final step in transforming itself from a store to a full-fledged brand. The retailer has announced it will temporarily close its doors at the end of January to completely focus on its line of in-house products.
Askov will no longer carry any third-party brands, and will use this closure as a time to expand the Askov Finlayson-branded line—which means introducing the first line of women's apparel—and transform its North Loop brick-and-mortar into what Eric Dayton describes as a "true flagship store."
Since the hiring of a new design director, Christopher Windham (read more about Windham and his extensive design experience here), Askov has expanded its in-house product—beyond the iconic North hats we all know and love. In fact, Askov's products—from sweaters and t-shirts to shorts and pants—were the store's top performers among a sea of brands with cult-like followings (like Patagonia, and Carhartt) over the last year. The brand also grew its wholesaling strategy and has seen tremendous success.
According to Dayton, to build on this momentum, he has decided to discontinue selling other brands and focus on their own product design moving forward to completely align with its “Keep the North Cold” sustainability-focused mission (Askov is committed to giving 110 percent of the climate cost of its business annually to support leading-edge climate solutions).
"We’re a mission-driven company and this move better aligns our business with our mission, as third-party products weren’t a part of our Give 110 percent climate impact calculation. It’s time to go all-in. And that’s what we’re doing," says Dayton.
The store will remain open through the end of January, with 50 percent markdowns on third-party brands and select discontinued Askov Finlayson products. During the closure, the online shop will remain open and the brand will continue to introduce new products available for purchase via e-commerce.
Askov will also be partnering with local modern furniture company BluDot and St. Paul women's boutique Idun for an offsite clearance event at the BluDot outlet store in Northeast Minneapolis (slated for Feb. 9–10). More details to come.
