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4F (company)

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4F
Company typePLC
IndustryTextile
Founded2007; 17 years ago (2007)
HeadquartersWieliczka, Poland
Area served
Europe, Asia
Key people
Igor Klaja (CEO)
ProductsT-shirts, shorts, jackets, swimsuits, sandals, sports equipment
Number of employees
850
Website4fstore.com

4F is a Polish clothing company established in 2003 and headquartered in Wieliczka, in southern Poland. The company is owned by OTCF S.A. whose other subsidiaries include brands like Outhorn and 4Faces. It offers sports, tourism and casual wear clothing as well as accessories. The brand currently operates 230 stores in East-Central Europe and its products are present in around 500 multi-brand stores in 40 countries.[1][2][3]

4F manufactures a wide range of sportswear and casual wear products, such as t-shirts, shorts, jackets, swimsuits, sandals, flip-flops, bags and backpacks. The company's sports equipment includes ski suits and bicycle helmets.

4F store in Poland

History

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In 2003, the Horn Partner company (currently OTCF S.A.) opened its first retail store offering sportswear under the 4Fun brand. In 2007, the company changed the name to 4F Performance, and since 2010 it has adopted the 4F name.[4]

In 2008, it officially started cooperation with the Polish Olympic Committee (PKOl). The brand was selected to dress Polish athletes at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, 2012 Summer Olympics in London, 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi,[5] 2015 European Games in Baku as well as 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.[6] It also provided sportswear clothing to young Polish athletes at the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore and Nanjing. Besides the PKOl, since 2010, the company has also been collaborating with the Polish Paralympic Committee.[7]

4F cooperates with seven other national olympic committees and has dressed 9 national representations, including teams from Poland, Serbia,[8][9][10] Croatia, Latvia,[11] Greece,[12] North Macedonia,[13] Lithuania, Slovakia[14] and Ukraine.[15]

In 2016, 4F company opened its first stores abroad in Latvia, Slovakia, Romania and the Czech Republic.[16]

The brand is also an official partner of such organizations as the Polish Ski Federation (2007), Polish Biathlon Association (2010), Polish Athletic Association (2013),[17] Polish Speed Skating Association (2014), the Polish Handball Federation (2017) and the Slovak Biathlon Association (2018).[18][2]

In 2018, the 4F company was unveiled as one of the officials presenting sponsors of the Four Hills Tournament held in Germany and Austria for the next four upcoming editions of the event[19] as well as the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in 2021.[20] The company also opened its first store in Asia in Bangkok, Thailand.[21] In 2020, the company became one of the official global partners of the 7th edition of the Wings for Life World Run.[22] The company also opened its first flagship store in Ukraine in Kyiv with two more openings planned by the end of the year.[3]

During the global Covid-19 pandemic, the company shifted its focus to e-commerce with internet sale of its goods soaring by 114% constitting 16.5% of the total retail sale of the company in 2020.[23] In September 2020, the company launched the sportswear collection designed by Anna Lewandowska. The collection was described as "promoting the image of modern femininity".[24]

In 2021, the company had begun its cooperation with the Polish volleyball team ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle, the winner of 2020–21 CEV Champions League.[25] From the last EuroBasket 2022, the company became the new official supplier of Poland national basketball team played at home. From the 2023/2024 season the brand also became the new official kit supplier of the Slovak basketball champion's BK Inter Bratislava team.

In 2023, the company opened its first two salons in Qatar and further expanded its presence on the Thai market by opening a second store in Bangkok.[26] The company also launched its first concept store in Vilnius and eighth overall in Lithuania.[27]

The company has been working on sustainable development and introduced the 4 Change strategy aimed at combating the negative effects of the textile industry such as fast fashion on the environment. It focuses on such aspects as promoting circular fashion and collaborating with organizations concerned with the protection of the environment.[28][29] At the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, 4F became the official kit supplier of the Ukraine national football team.[30]

Ambassadors of the brand

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The list includes both present and former ambassadors of the brand:

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "O nas". Retrieved 2019-01-06.
  2. ^ a b "Historia". Retrieved 2019-01-06.
  3. ^ a b "4F rusza na podbój kolejnego rynku. Pierwszy salon w stolicy naszego sąsiada". Retrieved 2020-08-09.
  4. ^ "4F – czy polska marka podbije świat?". mwp.org.pl (in Polish). 16 March 2021. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  5. ^ "SOCZI 2014: ZOBACZ STROJE NASZYCH OLIMPIJCZYKÓW". Retrieved 2019-01-06.
  6. ^ "Rio 2016: zaprezentowano stroje polskich olimpijczyków". Retrieved 2019-01-06.
  7. ^ "Pokaz kolekcji para- i olimpijskiej na Rio 2016". Archived from the original on 2017-02-22. Retrieved 2019-01-06.
  8. ^ "Marka 4F ubierze Serbów podczas igrzysk w Rio". Retrieved 2019-01-06.
  9. ^ "The best and worst dressed nations at the Olympics opening ceremony". Retrieved 2019-01-06.
  10. ^ "Amazing athletes, energy and pride we all share with each other promoting the best of the game". Retrieved 2019-01-06.
  11. ^ "4F for Latvian Olympic Team". Archived from the original on 2019-01-07. Retrieved 2019-01-06.
  12. ^ "Team Greece kit up with 4F for PyeongChang 2018". Retrieved 2019-01-06.
  13. ^ "Olympic Committiees". Archived from the original on 2019-01-07. Retrieved 2019-01-06.
  14. ^ "Polish sportswear firm is Olympic winner after partnering with Eight countries". Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  15. ^ "Polish company 4F to provide uniform for Ukrainian Olympic team at Olympics in Paris". interfax.com.ua. 21 February 2024. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  16. ^ "About 4F". Archived from the original on 2020-12-21. Retrieved 2019-01-06.
  17. ^ "4F rozpoczyna współpracę z Polskim Związkiem Lekkiej Atletyki". Retrieved 2019-01-06.
  18. ^ "Sports Associations". Archived from the original on 2019-01-07. Retrieved 2019-01-06.
  19. ^ "4F unveiled as presenting partner for Four Hills Tournament". Retrieved 2019-01-06.
  20. ^ "Who we are". Archived from the original on 2019-01-07. Retrieved 2019-01-06.
  21. ^ "Polska firma 4F otworzyła sklep w Tajlandii". Retrieved 2020-08-09.
  22. ^ "Wielki sukces polskiej marki. 4F Globalnym Partnerem 7. Światowego Biegu Wings for Life". Retrieved 2020-08-09.
  23. ^ Magda Głowacka (7 May 2021). "Polska marka 4F potrafiła wygrać na pandemii. Zmiana strategii pozwoliła pomnożyć zyski". wiadomoscihandlowe.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  24. ^ Paulina Żmudzińska (8 September 2020). "Anna Lewandowska autorką nowej kolekcji polskiej marki 4F. To ukłon w stronę współczesnej kobiecości". avanti24.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  25. ^ "Firma 4F została partnerem technicznym Grupy Azoty ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle" (in Polish). Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  26. ^ "4F is dynamically expanding in the Asian market". otcf.pl. 29 September 2023. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  27. ^ "4F with the first concept store in Vilnius!". otcf.pl. 24 May 2023. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  28. ^ "Our strategy". 4fchange.com. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  29. ^ "4F Change. Małymi krokami w kierunku wielkiej zmiany". 4f.com.pl (in Polish). 19 January 2022. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  30. ^ "Olympics 2024: Ukraine's team unveils new kit for football tournament". uaf.ua. 14 July 2024. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  31. ^ a b "Alina Rotaru-Kottmann i Jakub Grigar nowymi ambasadorami marki 4F. Firma OTCF chce rozwijać się na rynkach międzynarodowych". wiadomoscihandlowe.pl (in Polish). 3 March 2023. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  32. ^ "Tenisista serwuje – 4F Łukasz Kubot Collection". Archived from the original on 2017-02-22. Retrieved 2019-01-06.
  33. ^ "WILFREDO LEON AMBASADOREM 4F". Retrieved 2021-08-20.
  34. ^ "Robert Lewandowski nowym ambasadorem marki 4F". Retrieved 2021-01-02.
  35. ^ "Robert Lewandowski ambasadorem znanej marki sportowej. Kolekcja piłkarza już wkrótce". Retrieved 2021-01-02.
  36. ^ "KOLEKCJA LIMITOWANA". 4f.com.pl. Retrieved 2019-01-06.
  37. ^ "Bartosz Zmarzlik został ambasadorem marki 4F, a chwilę później... wywalczył tytuł mistrza świata". wiadomiscihandlowe.pl (in Polish). 1 October 2023. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
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