Customers browse the Helinox pop-up store at iapm in Shanghai, China. [Kolon FnC]
Customers browse the Helinox pop-up store at iapm in Shanghai, China. [Kolon FnC]

Kolon Industries' FnC division announced Monday that global outdoor brand Helinox is making a full-scale entry into the Chinese market.

The venture will be operated through Helinox China, a joint venture between Kolon FnC and Helinox's parent company. In South Korea, the two companies divide responsibilities — Helinox handles gear and Kolon FnC manages apparel — but in China they will present both lines together under a single brand, following a "one branding" strategy.

Kolon FnC first introduced Helinox apparel in South Korea in October 2025 and has since opened five stores in major department stores and mixed-use shopping centers in Gangnam and Jamsil. It recently expanded its offline presence by opening the brand's first flagship store near Dosan Park.

The wearable gear segment has been gaining traction in China. Drawing on its Chinese distribution rights, Kolon FnC opened an official store on Tmall, China's largest e-commerce platform, in the first half of 2025, and has since engaged local consumers through Xiaohongshu. Sales through Tmall in the first half of this year rose 114 percent from the same period a year earlier.

Helinox is running a pop-up experience project, "TAKE A SEAT SHANGHAI," at the first-floor atrium of the high-end Shanghai mall Huanmao iapm through Oct. 27. In December, the brand plans to open permanent stores at iapm and ITC. By 2030, it aims to expand to more than 30 stores concentrated in premium malls across first-tier cities such as Shanghai and Beijing, building an integrated online and offline premium retail network.


siuu@heraldcorp.com