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~ Salesupply ~

FROM HERITAGE

TO HIGH GROWTH:

HOW ONITSUKA TIGER SCALES

EUROPEAN E-COMMERCE

WITH SALESUPPLY

Text: Ruud den Rooijen // Photos: Cross-Border Magazine

When a brand carries more than seventy years of legacy, the challenge isn’t only to grow;

it’s to evolve while staying true to its roots. Onitsuka Tiger, the Japanese footwear icon, has
done just that. Once born on the basketball courts of Kobe, today it’s a global lifestyle brand
that blends heritage craftsmanship with contemporary design. And in Europe, its recent
e-commerce success story stands as a model for how legacy and innovation can go hand in
hand. At the 2025 Cross-Border Magazine Awards, Onitsuka Tiger was recognised for its
rapid cross-border growth in Europe. A milestone made possible through their European
partnership with Salesupply.

legacy reimagined delivering a seamless customer experience that felt truly local
Founded in 1949 by Kihachiro Onitsuka, Onitsuka in every country.
A Tiger was born from a mission: to rebuild post-war
Japan’s spirit through sport. The brand quickly became known That’s where Salesupply came in.
for innovation, like its “octopus shoe”, featuring a suction-
cup-inspired sole that offered unprecedented grip on the “To maintain our premium brand experience while scaling
court. across borders, we needed a partner who could combine local
expertise with international scalability,” explains Cherish
In 1977, the company merged into what became ASICS, and Bödeker, General Manager EMEA at Onitsuka Tiger.
for a time, the tiger stripes faded from view. “Without the scalability of Salesupply, this would never have
been possible.”
But fashion loves a comeback. In 2002, Onitsuka Tiger was
revived as a retro-inspired lifestyle brand, perfectly positioned Salesupply now provides Onitsuka Tiger with native-speaking
to ride Europe’s growing appetite for vintage and heritage customer service across 15 European countries, ensuring that
trainers. What began as a nostalgic revival soon turned into every shopper, from Stockholm to Seville, receives the same
a sustained global phenomenon, with Onitsuka Tiger now level of personalised, culturally attuned support.
celebrated for its premium craftsmanship, modern aesthetics,
and cultural authenticity. This collaboration goes beyond standard customer care.
Together, Onitsuka Tiger and Salesupply have built a unified,
Crossing borders with precision customer-centric foundation that reflects the brand’s values;
As Onitsuka Tiger’s European presence grew, so did its precision, respect, and authenticity, across every interaction.
operational complexity. Scaling across multiple markets
meant managing not only logistics and marketing but also

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