British Brand Fred Perry Is Heading to Chile and Argentina
Lifestyle
Key Facts
—The arrival. British fashion brand Fred Perry plans to enter Chile and Argentina next year.
—The stores. The plan is a shop in a Santiago shopping mall and a first street store in Buenos Aires.
—The partner. It arrives via Chilean holding Crosby, which already represents Dr Martens, On, Birkenstock and others.
—The map. Chile and Argentina become the brand’s third and fourth markets in Latin America.
—The heritage. Founded in 1952, Fred Perry now sells in more than 70 countries and over 100 single-brand stores.
—The rest. In the region it already operates in Brazil, with a store in São Paulo, and in Mexico.
Fred Perry, the British label with the laurel-wreath logo, is finally coming to the Southern Cone. For fans in Santiago and Buenos Aires, the twin-tipped polo shirt is about to get a lot easier to buy.
The brand is a fixture of British style, worn across decades of youth subcultures. Now it is extending its reach into two of South America’s most fashion-conscious capitals.
For expats and locals alike, it is a small but telling sign. Global heritage brands increasingly see Chile and Argentina as worth a dedicated storefront.
What Fred Perry is planning
The move is set for next year. The company plans to open a store in a shopping mall in Santiago, alongside a first street-level shop in Buenos Aires.
It is not arriving alone. The launch runs through the Chilean holding company Crosby, led by Joaquín Gotlib, which handles the local rollout.
That partner brings a serious retail stable. Crosby already represents Dr Martens, the Swiss brand On, Birkenstock, Salomon, Converse and New Balance in Chile.
The group is expanding on several fronts at once. It is also growing its own multi-brand concept, Snobby, with a new flagship opening this month in Santiago’s Costanera Center.
With this step the brand widens its regional footprint. Chile and Argentina will become its third and fourth markets in Latin America.
Where Fred Perry already sells in the region
Until now its Latin American presence has been thin. The brand operates in Brazil, with a store in São Paulo, and in Mexico through the department-store chain El Palacio de Hierro.
Adding Chile and Argentina doubles that footprint. It signals that the label sees room to grow in the Southern Cone rather than treating the region as a one-country afterthought.
Its global reach is far wider. Founded in 1952 by tennis champion Fred Perry and Tibby Wegner, the company now sells in more than seventy countries.
The founder gave the label its sporting roots. Fred Perry was the last British man to win the Wimbledon singles title before a long drought, and his name carried the brand into fashion.
That network mixes owned shops with wholesale. It runs over a hundred single-brand stores worldwide alongside a broad distribution presence.
A brand with a complicated cool
Part of Fred Perry’s appeal is its long cultural life. The polo shirt has passed through mod, skinhead, punk and Britpop scenes, picking up meaning at every stop.
That history is not always comfortable. The brand has at times had to distance itself from fringe groups that adopted its look, a reminder that heritage cuts both ways.
For most shoppers, though, the draw is simple. It is a clean, recognisable piece of British style that signals taste without shouting a logo.
Why it matters
For residents, this is a quality-of-life detail that adds up. Every global brand that opens locally means one less thing to bring back in a suitcase or order through a reshipping service.
For the wider market, it is a modest confidence signal. A brand commits to physical stores only when it believes there is durable spending power to justify the rent.
The honest caveat is scale. This is two stores, not a chain, and the timeline points to next year, so the real test will be whether the brand deepens its bet after the openings.
More: Argentina news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will Fred Perry open in Chile and Argentina?
The brand plans to enter both countries next year, opening a store in a Santiago shopping mall and a first street-level shop in Buenos Aires. The rollout runs through the Chilean holding company Crosby.
Where else does Fred Perry sell in Latin America?
Before this expansion, Fred Perry operates in Brazil, with a store in São Paulo, and in Mexico through the El Palacio de Hierro department stores. Chile and Argentina will become its third and fourth markets in the region.
Who is behind the launch?
The launch is handled by Crosby, a Chilean holding led by Joaquin Gotlib that already represents Dr Martens, On, Birkenstock, Salomon, Converse and New Balance in Chile. Fred Perry is its next addition.
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