What KMD BRANDS LIMITED does

KMD Brands Limited is a New Zealand-incorporated, dual-listed (ASX/NZX, ticker: KMD) multi-brand outdoor, lifestyle and sports company. The Group operates three heritage brands: Kathmandu (outdoor apparel and equipment, founded 1987 in New Zealand), Rip Curl (surfwear and surf accessories, founded 1969 in Australia and acquired by KMD in 2019), and Oboz (outdoor footwear, founded 2007 in Montana, USA and acquired by KMD in 2018). The company serves outdoor enthusiasts engaging in hiking, surfing, trail exploration, travel, and general outdoor lifestyle activities, and positions all three brands around responsibly made, technical products.

The business generates revenue primarily through one-time retail sales of branded apparel, equipment, and footwear. Distribution spans three channels: direct-to-consumer e-commerce across brand-specific websites (now consolidated onto the Shopify platform), company-operated retail stores globally (with Rip Curl expanding flagship locations in Australia, Hawaii, Europe, and South America), and wholesale distribution partnerships. Underlying technology infrastructure is conventional retail technology (Shopify for commerce, Google Analytics for web analytics, Worldly for product-level Scope 3 emissions modeling); KMD is not a technology-led business but uses technology platforms to operate a multi-brand retail portfolio. Group headquarters are in Melbourne, with Rip Curl's global headquarters in Torquay, Victoria, and Oboz's headquarters in Bozeman, Montana.

The Group carries material ESG credentials: all three brands and the parent holding are B Corp certified, and the Group's near-term climate targets (Scope 1/2 -47%, Scope 3 -28% by 2030 from FY19 base) are validated by the Science Based Targets initiative. However, KMD is in a financially stressed period, having reported a NZ$93.5 million FY25 net loss (including an Oboz brand write-down) followed by a NZ$13.1M H1 FY26 loss despite a 7.3% sales increase. Management has responded with a business restructure targeting NZ$25 million in cost savings, an NZ$65 million equity raise to repair the balance sheet, a group-wide Shopify migration, and a near-complete executive leadership refresh across 2024-2025.

Name

KMD BRANDS LIMITED

Legal name

KMD Brands Limited

Website

https://kmdbrands.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

KMD Brands Limited is a New Zealand-listed multi-brand outdoor and lifestyle retailer operating Kathmandu (apparel and equipment), Rip Curl (surfwear), and Oboz (footwear) through wholesale, company-owned retail, and DTC e-commerce channels, serving outdoor enthusiasts globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Outdoor Apparel and Equipment

NAICS

Sporting Goods Retailers (45911), Sporting and Recreational Goods and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (423910), Footwear Manufacturing (3162)

SIC

Sporting & Athletic Goods, Nec (3949), Wholesale-Apparel, Piece Goods & Notions (5130)

akta.pro primary industry

Outdoor Travel Gear (Duffels, Packs, Dry Bags) Retail (CRAMAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Backpacking & Trekking Gear Retail (CRAMAAAA), Hiking & Trail Accessories Retail (CRAMAAAD)

Keywords

• Outdoor apparel
• Surf apparel
• Outdoor footwear
• Travel equipment
• Multi-brand retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Christchurch

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Retail Sales: KMD Brands generates revenue through three main outdoor/lifestyle brands: Kathmandu (apparel and equipment), Rip Curl (surfwear), and Oboz (outdoor footwear). Products are sold through wholesale, retail, and digital channels globally.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

KMD Brands is a global outdoor, lifestyle and sports company operating three iconic brands — Kathmandu (outdoor apparel and equipment), Rip Curl (surfwear) and Oboz (outdoor footwear). The company designs, sources and distributes these products to consumers through wholesale, retail and digital channels across Australia, New Zealand, North America, Europe, South America and Hawaii.

Product overview

KMD Brands Limited is a global outdoor, lifestyle and sports company consisting of three iconic sub-brands: Kathmandu (outdoor apparel and equipment, founded 1987), Rip Curl (surf brand, founded 1969), and Oboz (outdoor footwear, founded 2007). All three brands share a focus on responsibly made, expertly designed, and technical products distributed through wholesale, retail, and digital channels. The company operates as a multi-brand retail platform with each brand maintaining its own identity while sharing Group resources and B Corp certification status.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Kathmandu: Leading global outdoor lifestyle brand founded in New Zealand in 1987, specializing in quality clothing and equipment for travel and adventure. Certified B Corp since 2019.
• Rip Curl
• Oboz

Products and services

• Kathmandu A leading global outdoor lifestyle brand founded in 1987 in New Zealand, specializing in quality clothing and equipment for travel and adventure. Certified B Corp since 2019 and recertified in 2023.
• Rip Curl A leading global surf brand founded in 1969 at Bells Beach, Australia, known for surf apparel, events, athletes and the 'Search' philosophy. Acquired by KMD Brands in 2019 and B Corp certified in 2023.
• Oboz A North American outdoor footwear brand founded in 2007 in Bozeman, Montana, designing 'True to the Trail' handmade hiking footwear. Acquired by KMD Brands in 2018 and B Corp certified in 2023.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered supporting, core and minor.

• WorldlysupportingTechnology or IntegrationKMD Brands uses Worldly's sustainability and supply chain intelligence platform, specifically the Product Impact Calculator which covers over 260 consumer goods product categories. The tool enables brands to measure product-level Scope 3 emissions using primary supplier data and has been used to model emissions for over 400,000 products, helping prepare for EU's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive and Digital Product Passport requirements.
• ShopifycoreTechnology or IntegrationKMD Brands announced a shift to Shopify ecommerce platform across its brands (Kathmandu, Rip Curl, and Oboz) to modernize digital commerce capabilities.
• Chris KinraidminorOthersChris Kinraid joined NZR as CFO after previously serving as Group CFO at KMD Brands and CEO of Hallenstein Glasson Holdings Limited. This represents a personnel movement rather than a formal partnership.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Columbia Sportswear: Columbia Sportswear is a leading global outdoor apparel and footwear brand, directly competing with Kathmandu in outdoor apparel and with Oboz in outdoor footwear. Closely comparable in product category, retail/wholesale distribution, and global outdoor consumer target.
• Burton Snowboards: Burton is a privately-held leading snowboard/outdoor lifestyle brand founded in Vermont — closely comparable to Rip Curl as a heritage action-sports brand with similar global event-sponsorship and lifestyle-aspirational positioning.
• Helly Hansen: Helly Hansen is a Norwegian outdoor apparel and sailing brand, directly comparable to KMD's portfolio in technical outdoor apparel, waterproofing technology, and global wholesale distribution. Both target performance outdoor consumers with similar price points.
• Patagonia: Patagonia is a leading sustainable outdoor apparel brand, directly competing with Kathmandu on outdoor apparel and with KMD's B Corp positioning on sustainability credentials. Highly comparable in environmentally-conscious outdoor consumer segment and DTC retail strategy.
• Quiksilver: Quiksilver is one of the world's largest surf brands, founded in Australia, directly competing with Rip Curl in surfwear, wetsuits, and boardsport apparel. Highly comparable in product mix, customer base, and surf-event sponsorship model.
• Billabong Group: Billabong is a global surfwear and boardsport apparel company headquartered in Australia — directly comparable to KMD's Rip Curl brand across product, customer (surf lifestyle), and ANZ heritage. Both brands compete for the same global surf consumer.

Broad incumbents

• VF Corporation: VF Corporation is the parent of The North Face, Timberland, Vans, and Smartwool — making it a broad incumbent competitor across outdoor apparel, footwear, and surf-adjacent lifestyle. KMD's brand portfolio (Kathmandu, Rip Curl, Oboz) directly competes with VF's portfolio across multiple price points and geographies.
• Decathlon: Decathlon is the world's largest sporting goods retailer, offering outdoor apparel, hiking footwear, and surf gear at value price points — directly overlapping with Kathmandu and Oboz product categories and serving the same broad outdoor consumer base globally.

Emerging players

• Yeti Holdings: Yeti is a US premium outdoor lifestyle brand (drinkware, coolers, bags) with strong DTC and brand-equity momentum. Comparable to KMD's premium outdoor brand-positioning strategy and DTC growth orientation, though primarily in adjacent product categories.

Regional players

• Macpac (Rip Curl-adjacent ANZ outdoor): Macpac is a New Zealand-founded outdoor backpacks and equipment brand now owned by Super Retail Group, directly competing with Kathmandu in ANZ outdoor/backpacking retail. Comparable in product category, customer segment, and ANZ regional distribution footprint.

Market position

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/771893
• Xx.com/KathmanduGear
• Facebookfacebook.com/kathmandu

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A2 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about KMD BRANDS LIMITED