HISTORY

Marc O’Polo is founded in Stockholm in 1967 by two Swedes, Rolf Lind and Göte Huss, and an American, Jerry O. Sheets. The first collection piece by the three founders is a patchwork shirt made from hand-woven Indian cotton. The key visual of the first advertising campaign - a strawberry - attracts international attention.

At a menswear trade show in Cologne, the founders meet Werner Böck, the company’s current majority shareholder and Chairman of the Supervisory Board. On the same day of their first encounter, Böck founds Marc O’Polo Deutschland Vertriebs GmbH. “It wasn’t only new, but revolutionary!” Böck recalls today.

In the early 1970s, MARC O'POLO expands the collection into complete women's and men's lines and introduces the brand CAMPUS. This is followed by the development of the legendary logo sweatshirt. Until then, only athletes had worn hoodies, sweatshirts and zipper jackets. Marc O’Polo emblazons the designs with a large logo. Across Europe, Marc O’Polo sweatshirts become the epitome of youthful, everyday fashion in the 1980s.

The economic growth of the company goes hand-in-hand with innovation. In 1979, the world’s first Marc O’Polo store opens in Düsseldorf. Its success paves the way for the launch of the Marc O’Polo franchise concept. Only ten years later, two collections are developed and produced per season. Today, the company presents eight collections a year. In 1987, Werner Böck acquires over 40% of the Swedish parent company’s shares.

Three years later, Marc O’Polo enters the licensing business with shoes, eyewear and bodywear. In 1997 Werner Böck becomes majority shareholder, transferring the company’s headquarters from Stockholm to Stephanskirchen. From now on, design, production, marketing and sales are managed from Germany. In addition Marc O’Polo launches a further license: an accessories line for bags and small leather goods.

On Munich’s Theatinerstraße, in the vicinity of the company’s headquarters, the largest Marc O’Polo flagship store, with a sales area of around 900 square meters, opens in 2003. In the same year, the company lays the foundation for eCommerce when the Marc O’Polo eShop Germany goes online.

In 2005 the license for Marc O’Polo Shoes is reclaimed. From now on, the newly founded Marc O’Polo Shoes GmbH designs, produces and markets Marc O’Polo footwear. Marc O’Polo celebrates its 40th anniversary with the “since 67” collection in aid of the UNICEF project “Schools for Africa”. With the opening of its franchise store in Uppsala, Sweden, Marc O’Polo runs 1,000 stores and shop-in-stores worldwide.

Two years later, Marc O’Polo wins the German fashion industry’s “Oscar”, the Forum Award of the trade journal TextilWirtschaft. The company is recognized for its outstanding entrepreneurial and personal performance, which has a sustained impact on the development of the fashion industry.

Following the opening of the first MARC O'POLO store in Poland in 2011, a showroom and two stores follow in Paris in 2012, as well as other stores in the major cities of Poland, Belgium and the Netherlands. CAMPUS becomes an independent company. Online, MARC O'POLO e-shops open in Switzerland and Sweden in 2011 and in Belgium and France in 2013. Also in 2013, the license for accessories is reclaimed and MARC O'POLO Shoes is renamed MARC O'POLO Shoes & Accessories GmbH.

As the basis for a new cross-channel strategy, Marc O’Polo introduces RFID technology in 2013, interlinking the company’s own stationary retail with that of franchise partners and online retailers as of 2015. The Marc O’Polo for Members loyalty program allows for an individual approach to, and exclusive services for, regular customers.

As part of its ongoing expansion, Marc O’Polo opens its first store in China, in Shanghai, in 2014. Since then, business in the Far East continues to grow steadily. In addition, the company launches the new Marc O’Polo DENIM collection line in 2015, and CAMPUS GmbH becomes Marc O’Polo DENIM & CAMPUS GmbH.

Marc O’Polo celebrates its 50th birthday with special collections and promotions. Customers, partners and fans of the brand join the festivities via all channels. To develop a special edition of the Marc O’Polo sweatshirt, the company enlists pop legend Robbie Williams in a design collaboration. The singer supports the accompanying campaign with a one-time private concert at the company's 50th anniversary event, at its headquarters in Stephanskirchen. Just in time for the anniversary, Marc O’Polo also launches its .com shop, making the brand available online in 20 countries.

Marc O’Polo relaunches its online store in celebration of the e-shop’s 15th anniversary. This means that the Marc O’Polo product world is now directly available online in approximately 20 countries. As part of the relaunch, the shop receives a new look and a strong technical foundation. This makes the online shopping experience even more appealing and is complemented by many new services.

Marc O’Polo continues to expand its Eastern European business, entering the Czech and Romanian markets with its own stores after having already done so in Poland. With Prague and Bucharest, Marc O’Polo is now represented in two further European capitals. An exciting year also for international sales overall, 2019 is crowned by the international launch of Marc O’Polo Members.

In May, the company closes its 2018/2019 financial year with the most successful financial results in five years. Contrary to the market trend, Marc O’Polo grows. Positive developments in the core business and investments in product and marketing are important factors, but the future-oriented alignment of internal processes and structures also pays off. In total, the operating result doubles.

Marc O'Polo grows and draws attention to itself as a TOP employer for the first time through a broad-based employer branding campaign. Thanks to the unique Marc O'Polo team spirit of the employees, the company successfully masters the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic and achieves a balanced business result despite international lockdowns. As part of the sustainability strategy "01 Journey 10 Pathways", Marc O'Polo defines the goal of offering only sustainable products from 2023 and joins the Fair Wear Foundation.

The casual lifestyle brand in the premium segment launches its own online store "marc-o-polo.com" in another 18 countries. Maximilian Böck, son of the Böck family of entrepreneurs, takes over the CEO position. With IT'S ON US, Marc O'Polo launches its first image campaign with a TV spot and a focus on sustainability. In the employer ranking "Working in Fashion" of TextilWirtschaft, the company is in second place for the first time.

Marc O'Polo is expanding its physical presence in Europe: In addition to further store openings in Germany and the Netherlands, Marc O'Polo is expanding into Italy, Denmark, Spain and Greece through partnerships for shop-in-shop concepts. For the first time in the company's history, Marc O'Polo achieved brand sales of over half a billion euros. For the second time in a row, the 2nd place is achieved in the Working in Fashion study by TextilWirtschaft.

Marc O'Polo celebrates 1 million MEMBERS in its loyalty programme. Furthermore, the brand launches a signature fragrance line that exudes naturalness in an aromatic yet minimalistic way. The company also proudly opens its first Marc O'Polo DENIM flagship store in Vienna. This marks an important step in positioning and further expanding the business by reaching out to a younger audience.

Marc O'Polo is presented with the Fair Wear Foundation Leader status, symbolising an unmatched commitment to ethical practices and sustainability. As part of the fall/winter collection, the casual lifestyle brand launches its biggest brand campaign to date, starring supermodel Gisele Bündchen and star footballer Toni Kroos. The aim is to further increase the level of brand awareness and international relevance and to expand the market share of menswear.