GORE® Wear announces new strategic direction; QBP to become North American distributor

February 17, 2021

NEWARK, DE — GORE® Wear, the manufacturer of premium performance apparel, today announces its path forward with a new wholesale approach and a more focused product portfolio.

The Gore fabrics division will realign its consumer garments by further investing into the cycling category, while restructuring its wholesale business with a focus on a few select retail partners in key channels, and a North American distribution partnership with Quality Bicycle Products (QBP) for the IBD Specialist channel.

“Our aim is to better serve our consumers while ensuring a sustainable, profitable business for the upcoming years. QBP is a well-respected distributor with an extensive reach into the North American market, which remains a key region for the brand. Whilst retailers will no longer have access to GORE® Wear products directly, the partnership with QBP not only makes the ordering process easier for IBDs, it also opens up the brand to more retailers, and thereby consumers, nation-wide,” said Kevin King, North American Sales & Marketing Leader at W.L. GORE & Associates.

Rich Tauer, President at QBP added: “As pioneers of waterproof cycling gear, GORE® Wear products have long been synonymous with ultimate weather protection, and they’re a much-asked-for item among our retailers. We’re thrilled to enter into this partnership and to be able to supply our retailers with the best all-weather cycling gear on the market.”

Like many other brands, GORE® Wear is continually adapting its strategies to meet the needs of an evolving marketplace. As part of this ongoing global strategic development, the Gore fabrics division merged its GORE BIKE WEAR and GORE RUNNING WEAR brands into one back in 2018. This next phase of a realigned focus on key products, key regions and key distribution channels, was encouraged by the worldwide momentum of cycling, aimed at giving consumers the digitally-led experience they want, and accelerated by the global pandemic.

“The impact of streamlining product categories and retail partners was not taken lightly. GORE® Wear is permanently adapting its strategies to new circumstances in the marketplace in order to serve its consumers in the best possible way. These strategies will evolve as the market evolves, but for the moment we see this realignment as the most promising way forward for future success of the GORE® Wear brand,” said King.

GORE® Wear will continue to support its existing retail partners throughout the transition until July 2021. Starting March 1, 2021, QBP will carry a full range of GORE® Wear cycling products.

– ### –

About GORE ® Wear:

GORE ® Wear has arisen from a company that with its unique fabric technologies such as the GORE-TEX membrane stands more for ultimate weather protection than any other company. Today, it is this pioneering spirit, scientific competence and curiosity that paves the way for the production of premium sportswear. www.gorewear.com