New Book Celebrates Duluth Trading's Colorful Journey from Catalog to Major Coast-to-Coast Retailer

"The Art of Building a Brand" Available Today

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Nov 12, 2018, 16:58 ET

MOUNT HOREB, Wis., Nov. 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- After 30 years, the founder of Duluth Holdings Inc. lifts the veil on how Duluth Trading Co. evolved from a tool organizer catalog into a half a billion-dollar apparel retailing business. In a new book "The Art of Building a Brand," Steve Schlecht provides a comprehensive first-person history of one of the fastest growing retailers in the U.S. Art of the brand is featured, and the book includes a treasure trove of stories, catalog cover illustrations and insights.

“The Art of Building a Brand: The Story of Duluth Trading Company," written by Duluth Holdings founder Steve Schlecht, is available starting today in print for $24.95. The hardcover book can be ordered at DuluthTrading.com and in all Duluth retail stores nationwide.

Mr. Schlecht structures "The Art of Building a Brand" around the stages of business from his early days of bootstrap entrepreneurship to purchasing Duluth Trading and its growth from catalog to omnichannel brand that has opened more than 40 stores in the last five years. Each chapter provides a snapshot in brand evolution that will provide readers with valuable lessons in tenacity, stewardship, and a customer-first mindset. He details the triumphs and challenges through recessions, IPO filing and remaining relevant in the age of Amazon.

"If you're a fan of Duluth Trading or starting your own business, if you've wrestled through staying true to your core, I hope my personal journey and Duluth Trading's story provides a candid look at the fundamentals in building a brand," says Mr. Schlecht.

Using a combination of anecdotes and hard realities in business, the book shares with readers:

The brand's gritty origin in the construction trades in Duluth, MN
How Duluth Trading found its voice and its humorous advertising
Why storytelling and the graphic arts are foundational to the brand
Lessons about the twists and turns of entrepreneurship and succeeding without venture capital
A look at the team, advisors, and leadership that built the brand
How Duluth balances a strong culture, and rapid growth.

"The Art of Building a Brand: The Story of Duluth Trading Company" is available starting today in print for $24.95. The hardcover book can be ordered at DuluthTrading.com and in all Duluth retail stores nationwide.

About Duluth Trading
Duluth Trading is a rapidly growing lifestyle brand for the Modern, Self-Reliant American. Based in Mount Horeb, Wisconsin, we offer high quality, solution-based casual wear, workwear and accessories for men and women who lead a hands-on lifestyle and who value a job well-done. We provide our customers an engaging and entertaining experience. Our marketing incorporates humor and storytelling that conveys the uniqueness of our products in a distinctive, fun way, and our products are sold exclusively through our content-rich website, catalogs, and "store like no other" retail locations. We are committed to outstanding customer service backed by our "No Bull Guarantee" - if it's not right, we'll fix it. Visit our website at www.duluthtrading.com.

CONTACT: Melanie Dennig, [email protected]

SOURCE Duluth Trading