Volcom to team up with Electric Visual Evolution for eyewear in 2020

By

Robin Driver

Published
Nov 19, 2019

Authentic Brands Group (ABG), which acquired Volcom from Kering earlier this year, has announced that the American boardsports brand will partner with Electric Visual Evolution for the global production of its eyewear and snow goggles.

 
Through the new deal, Electric will design, develop, produce and distribute eyewear and snow goggles for the California-based action sport lifestyle brand.
 
Like Volcom, Electric is based in Southern California and specializes in catering to active lifestyles. Its products are designed in California and manufactured in Italy.

The eyewear group also works to create a strong sense of community among its customers, notably operating a range of different Instagram accounts, each dedicated to a specific subset of consumers, from surfers and snowboarders to fishing fans.
 
“Electric has been a market leader of active eyewear for two decades,” said Electric CEO Eric Crane in a release. “Our background, expertise and networks are perfectly suited to usher Volcom’s strong consumer brand into the eyewear space.”

Volcom already offered an eyewear range, but its first collection produced by Electric will be launched in 2020. when it will be available in Volcom stores and on the brand’s e-commerce website, as well as at select department stores and action sports retailers worldwide.
 
Since being sold by Kering in April, Volcom has revealed plans to push forward with its expansion in the U.S., a key action sports market, while also exploring strong growth opportunities in the snowboard segment, as well as in women’s and children’s products.
 
“Volcom is a leading contemporary brand in surf, skate and snowboarding; as an active lifestyle brand, it is perfectly positioned to extend into eyewear across a variety of categories,” explained ABG’s group president of lifestyle, Jarrod Weber. “We are particularly excited to watch Volcom pioneer its brand values into ski and snow goggles. This is a perfect fit for the brand and great opportunity for brand followers to expand their relationship with Volcom.”

With the support of ABG, the brand is also hoping to appeal to a wider audience, beyond dedicated boardsport practitioners. The latest collection in collaboration with Electric looks to be intended to feed into the brand’s overall growth strategy moving forward.

Working together should be no issue for the companies, as both were once owned by Kering and were part of the same unit. Electric was the first to leave the group, acquired in 2016 by its management, led by Eric Crane. Electric and Volcom will thus be celebrating their reunion with the 2020 partnership. Industry onlookers may speculate on whether this link-up will serve as a test by ABG before a possible expansion of the partnership on product development for others of the 50 brands within its portfolio.