Volcom Parent Liberated Brands Takes Over Spyder Licence

Authentic Brands Group announces the transition of its core licenses for Spyder, an active lifestyle brand, to Liberated Brands.

“We’re excited to be partnering with Liberated Brands on Spyder,” says Corey Salter, chief operating officer, Authentic Brands Group. “We’ve had a successful three-year relationship with them growing Volcom’s presence around the world and look forward to continuing the process with Spyder.”

Through the long-term agreement, Liberated Brands will assume outerwear and apparel sourcing, product design, marketing, wholesale, e-commerce and retail store operations across the U.S., Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, U.K., Russia and select territories in the European Union.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Spyder to the Liberated Brands operation,” says Todd Hymel, chief executive officer, Liberated Brands. “Together with ABG, our shared vision is to expand the robust Spyder universe to further encompass all omnichannel touchpoints, from digital and e-commerce to traditional bricks and mortar, while continuing to offer customers the ultimate shopping experience.”

Liberated Brands is a strategic partnership between ABG and the Volcom management team. As the dedicated operating platform for surf, skate and snow brand Volcom, Liberated Brands brings capabilities in brand building, technical design, specialized retail, athlete ambassadors, action sports marketing and e-commerce. They also operate more than 100 Volcom-branded stores around the world.

Liberated Brands intends to leverage the expertise it has built over the last decade with Volcom to continue the expansion of Spyder into a full four-season business and broaden its global footprint.

“As brands with deep roots in active and outdoor, there are a lot of synergies between Spyder and Volcom in terms of design innovation, distribution, content creation and athlete alliances,” says Hymel.

Spyder’s business operations will transition to Liberated Brands and the Spyder team will continue to be headquartered in Boulder, Colorado.

In addition to the strategic move for Spyder, ABG also plans to appoint new license partners for Frye, with an initial focus on securing a footwear partner with the expertise to uphold the brand’s long-term strategy and legacy.