13th Oct 2006 07:00
Hot Tuna (International) plc13 October 2006 Press Release 13 October 2006 Hot Tuna (International) PLC ("Hot Tuna" or "the Company") Successful relaunch of Hot Tuna brand in Australia Hot Tuna (International) PLC (AIM:HTT), a lifestyle apparel brand with authenticsurf heritage, announces today that the Company has successfully relaunched thebrand Hot Tuna into the surf market of Australia. Following the acquisition of the licensing rights for the Hot Tuna brand inAustralia in July 2006, the Company has already been able to secure orders inAustralia, with retail stores due to receive their initial orders duringNovember 2006, at the start of the Australian summer. The new range has been well received and great support has been associated withthe previous history of the brand. Hot Tuna Australia's launch plan was toestablish an initial account base of 'A' grade independent surf retailers andthe Company is delighted to announce that it has received firm orders from GlueStores (10 retail outlets), a division of Harvey Norman and one of Australia'smost successful retail groups, Surf Vision (13 retail outlets) the leadingindependent retailer on the Queensland coast, as well as Beach Street (3 retailoutlets), the dominant surf chain of the southern coast of Sydney. Hot Tuna Australia has also been successful in opening an account with one ofthe biggest retailers in Indonesia. Point Break is the most successful surfchain in Indonesia with over 40 outlets and a rapidly increasing account base. Hot Tuna was one of Point Break's most successful labels in the 1980s whenPoint Break was a stand alone account. Point Break will launch the brand inNovember 2006, at the same time as the Australian launch, with the men's rangeand the Company will roll out its women's range in the summer of 2007. Commenting on the relaunch, Ranjit Murugason, Executive Chairman of Hot Tuna,said: "I am pleased to announce these initial orders in Australia which aretestament to the quality and sustainability of Hot Tuna's product. This quickturnaround is a major achievement, as a suitable range had to be developed,produced and sold by a newly appointed sales team all within eight weeks. "We are extremely excited about opening the Point Break account in Indonesia asIndonesia is seen as one of the most rapidly expanding markets in Asia for surfwear. The rapid expansion of Point Break is testament to this emerging marketand having set foot here again is another positive step in achieving our rapidgrowth plans for 2007." - Ends - For further information:Hot Tuna (International) PLCRanjit Murugason, Executive Chairman Tel: +44 (0) 20 7372 [email protected] Seymour Pierce LimitedSarah Wharry / Parimal Kumar Tel: +44 (0) 20 7107 [email protected] www.seymourpierce.com Media enquiries:AbchurchHenry Harrison-Topham / Chris Lane Tel: +44 (0) 20 7398 [email protected] www.abchurch-group.com Notes to Editors Hot Tuna International PLC (AIM:HTT) owns the rights to the Hot Tuna brand, aprogenitor of global youth fashion, born in Australia with a heritage ofauthentic surf culture. Hot Tuna is one of the world's most iconic names in surf lifestyle and can traceits roots back to 1969 when it was founded by a surfer and his fashion designerwife. Though the label had not been actively marketed over for the lastdecade, it retained an organic cult status among core action sports enthusiasts. In June 2005, Hot Tuna International PLC purchased the 'Hot Tuna' brand fromFrontier International (Holdings) Pty Ltd, listed on AIM in September 2005, andhas since started to aggressively market the brand and reinvigorate thebusiness. The Company now owns all intellectual property rights to its name andrelated iconography, and has put in place key management drawn from theexecutive ranks of Quiksilver, O'Neill and Ocean Pacific, among others. Headquartered in the UK, Hot Tuna operates design, marketing and distributionhubs in the USA, Australia and the UK. In its core markets, Hot Tuna sellsproducts, which are directly manufactured in facilities in North America, Europeand in China. Hot Tuna offices are maintained in Sydney, Los Angeles and London. For more information, visit www.hottunaplc.com This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock ExchangeRelated Shares:
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