AN outdoor clothing firm will open its first store in China today.

The first Berghaus store in the country opens in Beijing, six months ahead of schedule.

Berghaus, which was founded in Newcastle more than 40 years ago and is now based in Sunderland, announced in September that it had signed an exclusive licensee agreement with Symphony Resources Limited, a subsidiary of Hong Kong leisure group Symphony Holdings Limited.

The plan was to launch in the Chinese market in the autumn, but plans were finalised sooner than expected.

Richard Cotter, Berghaus brand president, said: “We are delighted at the speed of progress that Berghaus is making in China.

“In signing the agreement with Symphony Resources last year, we understood that the deal offered great potential.

The fact that this is already being realised is hugely significant on a number of levels.

“It demonstrates the effectiveness of not only Symphony, but also our relatively new Berghaus Asia operation. It highlights the general growing demand for performance outdoor products in China.”

The store opening follows the introduction of a dedicated Berghaus concession in the Mykal department store in the city of Dalian on April 7.