Retail News CRM

Author: Mei Ling Tan

  • SM named Philippines’ Top Retailer

    SM named Philippines’ Top Retailer

    In October 1958, SM, then known as Shoemart, was nothing but a lone store along Rizal Avenue in downtown Manila. Fifty-seven years later, it has become a part of the lives of millions of Filipinos across the country and abroad. And with more than half a century of retail experience under its belt, SM Retail once again received the Gold Award as the Philippines’ Top Retailer at the recently held Retail Asia-Pacific Top 500 Awards.

    Each year, Retail Asia Publishing recognizes the largest and most outstanding retail companies in the 14 Asia-Pacific economies. Three retailers stand our from the pack and receive Gold, Silver and Bronze awards. SM Retail has consistently been a Gold recipient, while Puregold Price Club and Mercury Drug Corporation received the Silver and Bronze Awards, respectively.

    Two other companies affiliated with the SM Group, Watsons Philippines and Ace Hardware also received Certificates of Distinction during the awarding ceremony.

    SM Retail received the Gold Award as the Philippines’ Top Retailer during the recent Retail Asia-Pacific Top 500 Awards held recently at the Solaire Resort and Casino. Photo shows SM Retail Chairman Tessie Sy Coson receiving the award from Mr. Douglas Lawson, UnionPay International Southeast Asia’s Head of Regional Products. Each year, three top companies in 14 Asia Pacific economies receive Gold, Silver, and Bronze top retailing awards, with SM Retail consistently a Gold recipient. Two other companies affiliated with the SM Group, Watsons Philippines and ACE Hardware also received Certificates of Distinction during the evening.

    Retail Asia Publisher Andrew Yeo commended the retailers that made it in the Retail Asia-Pacific Top 500 list for having “risen to the many challenges confronting the industry, reviewing and revamping their operation to provide seamless shopping experiences for today’s highly connected shoppers.”

    Since its establishment, SM Store has undergone major transformations to serve a new generation of customers. SM Makati introduced the shop-in-shop concept wherein each category is designed and conceptualized like an individual boutique with its own look and feel.

    Here, elements work together to create a bolder, more innovative kind of retail environment, which highlights and defines the merchandise, engaging the elite customer to experience a new sense of space.

    Apart from the SM Store, SM’s Retail Group also has specialty store formats that serve niche markets by focusing on a wide selection of merchandise for each category. Part of this is the Food Retail Group, which recently unified its three formats – SM Supermarket, SM Hypermarket, and Savemore – under one brand name known as SM Markets to emphasize the group’s commitment to bring the same friendly service, wide selection, and great value across all its stores.

    The Non-Food Group, on the other hand, has store formats including appliance stores, fashion discount and toy superstores, as well as Kultura Filipino, a showcase of the best Filipino products.

    “You have not only proven yourselves to be adaptable and versatile, but also able to win and maintain the critical core value that all retailers must nurture in their drive to win and retain their customers – trust,” said Yeo.

  • Le Saunda Hong Kong sales plunge

    Le Saunda Hong Kong sales plunge

    Le Saunda Hong Kong and Macau sales plummeted 26.6 per cent in the first half of this year as tourist spending declined.

    Le Saunda manufactures and sells shoes, handbags and fashion accessories and sells them in Hong Kong, Macau and Mainland China under the brands of Le Saunda, Le Saunda Men, Linea Rosa and CNE. The company in also involved in property, trade-mark and management services. It has 833 stores, 20 fewer than at the same time last year.

    In its half year results, Le Saunda said sentiment in Hong Kong’s retail market is deteriorating, as the number of tourist arrivals in the city continued to fall and consumer confidence weakened.

    “Meanwhile, unyielding rental for commercial premises further aggravated the burden of retailers.”

    Le Saunda closed five stores in Hong Kong and Macau during the period, reducing the total store network in the two cities to 16.

    It was a better picture in Mainland China, however, where the company achieved retail sales growth of 3.8 per cent.

    Total group revenue for the six months increased by 0.4 per cent to RMB755.8 million and consolidated gross profit decreased by 0.4 per cent to RMB501.8 million. The overall gross profit margin decreased by 0.5 percentage point to 66.4 per cent.

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  • Aeropostale chooses India over China for growth

    Aeropostale chooses India over China for growth

    Aeropostale, an American mall-based fashion retailer for young men and women, is eyeing revenues of around Rs 500 crore from the Indian market in the next four years. The teen retailer launched its first store in the Capital in partnership with textile major Arvind and said India would be among its top three markets within that time period.

    Aeropostale has been grappling with diminishing sales in its largest market, the US, where it operates around 800 stores. It has been facing stiff completion from fast-fashion stores such as, H&M and Forever 21. Since then, it has taken the licensing route to expand into other markets. Interestingly , the brand has chosen India over China.

    “India will become one of our most important markets.China is overcrowded with foreign brands at the moment.Latin America, which brings us revenues of around $100 million, is our second-largest market after the US,” Kenneth Ohashi, senior VP, international and global licensing at Aeropostale, told TOI.

  • Five Manchester City online stores launched in Asia

    Five Manchester City online stores launched in Asia

    English Premier League club Manchester City has partnered with EZ Shopnet to launch five online stores serving Asian fans.

    Manchester City online stores will be launched for customers in China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea andSoutheast Asia.

    As the club’s new online retail partner for Asia Pacific, Hong Kong-based EZ Shopnet will help to meet fast growing demand across Asia Pacific for official Club merchandise. Each of the five stores operates in local languages and currencies, with local customer support enabling the club to get official merchandise to its fans quickly and cost effectively.

    Manchester City is following the lead of rivals Manchester United and Chelsea in cashing in on the growing fan base for EPL across broader Asia. It recently opened a regional management office in Singapore.

    Omar Berrada, group commercial director for City Football Marketing, which brokers Manchester City’s commercial partnerships and manages all of its retail and licensing, said that through EZ Shopnet, the club can get even closer to its growing fan base across Asia Pacific and deliver them a better and quicker service.

    “We have seen an enormous growth in our followers in the region and we are extremely happy that they will have easier access to official City kits and our wide range of merchandise than ever before.”

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  • I.T. Limited sales rise despite Hong Kong

    I.T. Limited sales rise despite Hong Kong

    Apparel business I.T. Limited has boosted sales by 5.1 per cent to HK$3.393 billion in the first half year despite a slowdown in Hong Kong.

    But the company recorded a net loss of $31 million due to a non-recurring foreign exchange losspreviously reported totaling $79.6 million. Without that, profit would have increased by 32.8 per cent to $48.6 million.

    Gross profit increased by 1.4 per cent to HK$2.026 billion at a gross profit margin of 59.7 per cent, slightly down on the 61.9 per cent of a year ago.

    In Hong Kong, retail sales slipped 3.6 per cent to $1.571 billion, but I.T. Limited noted that was a lesser fall than the broader apparel market in the city. Same store sales fell by 0.9 per cent.

    But in China, where it has more than 580 stores, the company increased sales by 19.1 per cent to $1.336 billion.

    Total Macau sales rose 6.2 per cent to $101 million despite lower than expected tourist traffic.

    And Japan continued to outperform with total retail sales of HK$222.4 million, representing 6.9 per cent increase in Hong Kong dollars, or 27.5 per cent in local currency.

    The company said in the Hong Kong market, a slow economic recovery alongside diminished inbound tourist traffic growth (from Mainland China in particular), which was attributed predominantly to the strength of the HK dollar and the easing of immigration in multiple tourist destinations such as Europe, Japan and Korea, has placed “unprecedented challenges on the consumer retail market”.

    “Similarly, Mainland China, where domestic headwinds continued to cause considerable impact on consumer appetite and maintained lingering concerns about the economic prospect of the country, demonstrated by the depression of external import demand, has created a challenging economic environment for retailers in the region,” I.T. Limited said in its filing.

    “At this juncture, consumer sentiment across these regions remained weak, and retail sales growth was largely boosted by sales promotions.”

    The company said having a multifaceted business model with “inherent flexibility” will allow it to remain resilient in the face of the market challenges.

    “We also believe that innovation and differentiation are among the most relevant tools to support our position as a fashion leader across our operating regions and allow us to adapt to the rapidly changing fashion markets. To that end, the group continues to focus and invest in further strengthening its fashion platform through a combination of international brands assortment upgrades and new fashion concepts establishment within the in-house brands segment.

    “Today, we have a balanced portfolio showcasing a collection of the latest distinctive international brands alongside multiple innovative in-house brands, all of which have their own unique identities that complement each other well.”

    In the first half year, I.T. Limited’s house brands accounted for 56.8 per cent of its revenue.

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  • Jenny Bakery Shanghai store scam

    Jenny Bakery Shanghai store scam

    A Jenny Bakery Shanghai store scam has angered the Hong Kong brand’s owners – not to mention Shanghai city officials and hundreds of customers who queued for hours only to find the cookies were copies.

    In the latest example of Mainland China’s seemingly contagious penchant for copying brands and labels and ripping off other people’s IP, crooked entrepreneurs launched a promotional campaign for the Shanghai opening of popular Hong Kong baker Jenny Bakery. It was even located in a respected shopping centre – the Global Harbour mall in the city’s Putuo District.

    Chinese media say that promotional material for the new store suggested the maker of the “most tasty cookies in Hong Kong had come to Shanghai”.

    The difference was in the signage: The Shanghai store bore the branding JENNY BAKERY (in capitals); the original Hong Kong business signage is Jenny Bakery. The Shanghai store even sold similarly packaged products: cookies in tins with teddy bear graphics which bore a strong likeness to the Hong Kong packaging.

    But such is the laxness of Chinese IP laws, it appears all that Putuo District city officials could do was reprimand the copycat scammers. They have been told to make it clear it has no association with the Hong Kong business and warned they could be fined if investigations prove they deliberately misled customers.

    The scammers had priced boxes of cookies at 98 yuan, or US$15.80 – nearing double the price of the original Hong Kong product, which sells for HK$70, or about US$9.

    While Jenny Bakery made it clear it does not have any stores in the mainland and that all its cookies are handmade, JENNY BAKERY maintained it had done nothing wrong by selling cookies baked at a factory in Shenzhen. The company said it was a legally registered brand and its business is legitimate.

    The Shanghai store has since closed, but not before affixing a notice to its door claiming it was the only legal owner of the brand name in the mainland – which is actually true; it was registered in Shenzhen earlier this year.

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  • Alibaba in Singles Day sales clash

    Alibaba in Singles Day sales clash

    China’s two largest internet retailers have clashed in the run-up to Singles Day, the world’s biggest online sales day, on 11 November.

    Alibaba has been accused by its smaller rival JD.com of “forcing retailers” to promote their sales exclusively with its own outlet, Tmall.

    JD.com has lodged a complaint with the Chinese industry and commerce watchdog but Alibaba denies the allegation.

    The retail giant claims its rival is “panicking because they’re losing”.

    “They simply can’t match our customer and merchant experience and logistical scale because Alibaba wins with customers and merchants as we provide a superior experience for users on our platforms,” said Jim Wilkinson, Alibaba’s senior vice president of international corporate affairs.

    The Wall Street Journal reported that a shoe retailer called Mulinsen had declined to promote JD’s Singles Day event.

    Singles Day began in the early 1990s as a day for people not in relationships to treat themselves, in the spirit of Valentines Day.

    The Chinese State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC) has accepted the complaint and warned retailers “not to use malicious marketing methods to engage in competition” ahead of the event, according to the Xinhua news agency.

    A recent change in legislation bans online retailers limiting promotional activity by their merchants on other platforms.

    Last year, Alibaba recorded $9.3bn (£5.9bn) sales during the annual event, which it adopted in 2009.

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  • JYSK Vietnam plans up to 20 stores

    JYSK Vietnam plans up to 20 stores

    Furniture retailer JYSK Vietnam has opened the first of 10 to 20 planned stores.

    The announcement comes just a month after the Danish brand opened its first outlets in Singapore, stores-in-stores within larger outlets operated by its local partner Courts.

    It has selected NeatClean as its Vietnamese partner with the first shop scheduled to open today (October 28) and a second on November 27.

    NeatClean JSC chairman Doan Hong Hai, told Vietnamese news media he believes the JYSK brand has a positive future in the country.

    “We will focus on middle-class customers and plan to open 10 to 20 shops in the next five years,” Hai said.

    Despite being Denmark’s largest international retailer, the brand’s Asian presence before it landed in Singapore, was limited to China and Indonesia, where it trades under the JYSK Nordic brand.

    JYSK was founded in 1979 and now has more than 2200 stores in more than 39 countries and annual sales of euro 2.8 billion.

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  • The Boulevard opens at Studio City Macau

    The Boulevard opens at Studio City Macau

    Two Hollywood legends stepped out at Studio City Macau yesterday to mark the US$3.2 billion project’s formal opening – inlcuding The Boulevard shopping precint.

    Actors Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio joined Academy award-winning director Martin Scorsese and director and producer Brett Ratner to reveal a historic collaboration in a short film The Audition – a Hollywood production tailor-made to promote Macau’s new destination.

    Academy award-winning director Martin Scorsese and Hollywood legends Robert De Niro as well as Leonardo DiCaprio revealed the making-of Macau’s first Hollywood production “The Audition”.

    Studio City is a Hollywood-inspired cinematically themed entertainment, gaming, retail and leisure destination, the retail mall named The Boulevard, and managed by Taubman Asia.

    René Tremblay, president of Taubman Asia, says The Boulevard brings an “unparalleled shopping experience” to Macau.

    “The Boulevard features high-energy streetscapes with the thrilling feeling of being in a studio back-lot, with featured streets and squares inspired by iconic shopping and entertainment locations, including Beverly Hills and New York’s Times Square. In this unique space, Taubman Asia delivers a mix of contemporary luxury and bespoke shopping options, all artfully curated by our team of experienced retail experts that has spent years carefully researching the market and creating an experience tailored to the needs of Macau’s many visitors,” said Tremblay.

    Macau in the spotlight for press conference of mega Hollywood short film “The Audition,” attracting over 300 media from all over the world.

    “As Taubman Asia’s first project in Macau, The Boulevard is strategically positioned to capture the vast retail opportunity of Macau’s preeminent leisure and tourism market. We’re confident in our partnership with Melco Crown Entertainment and the opportunity Studio City holds for Taubman Asia.”

    Meanwhile, the short film launched last night and screening publicly from today, is led by Scorsese and depicts De Niro, DiCaprio and Brad Pitt playing themselves as they vie for the same part in a fictitious movie.

    Studio City Casts a Global Entertainment Spotlight 4

    “When we first envisioned building a cinematically-themed integrated resort in Macau, we wanted to bring the best of the best of entertainment to the world,” said Lawrence Ho, co-chairman and CEO of Melco Crown Entertainment.

    “[So] it made perfect sense to commission a star-studded Hollywood production to fully conceptualise our goal to reimagine entertainment for Asia. We are extremely proud that we were able to work with the world’s greatest director and actors who are true icons of Hollywood, to successfully produce the first Hollywood movie for Macau.”

    The four mega Hollywood stars completed the Chinese title of “The Audition” in Chinese calligraphy; and presented it to Studio City to commemorate the occasion.

    Melco Crown Entertainment’s co-chairman James Packer added: “Studio City’s official opening represents a key milestone in our strategy to develop Macau as a truly world-leading tourism and entertainment destination, I am extraordinarily proud of what we have achieved here.”

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  • Apple’s ‘best year ever”

    Apple’s ‘best year ever”

    Tech giant Apple has reported its fourth quarter results – and concluded its “best year ever”.

    In the three months to September 26, the company achieved sales of $51.5 billion and a quarterly net profit of $11.1 billion. That compares to sales of $42.1 billion and a net profit of $8.5 billion, in the same quarter last year.

    The company’s gross margin was 39.9 per cent compared to 38 per cent a year ago. International sales accounted for 62 per cent of the quarter’s revenue.

    Apples says its growth was fuelled by record fourth quarter sales of iPhones, the expanded availability of the Apple Watch, and all-time records for Mac sales and revenue from services.

    “Fiscal 2015 was Apple’s most successful year ever, with revenue growing 28 per cent to nearly $234 billion,” said CEO Tim Cook.

    “This continued success is the result of our commitment to making the best, most innovative products on earth, and it’s a testament to the tremendous execution by our teams,” he said.

    “We are heading into the holidays with our strongest product lineup yet, including iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, Apple Watch with an expanded lineup of cases and bands, the new iPad Pro and the all-new Apple TV which begins shipping this week.”

    Luca Maestri, Apple’s CFO, said the company’s record September quarter results drove earnings per share growth of 38 per cent and operating cash flow of $13.5 billion.

    “We returned $17 billion to our investors during the quarter through share repurchases and dividends, and we have now completed over $143 billion of our $200 billion capital return program.”

    In the quarter ahead, Apple is predicting revenue of between $75.5 billion and $77.5 billion and a gross margin which could reach 40 per cent.

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  • Belstaff marks Greater China debut

    Belstaff marks Greater China debut

    British luxury lifestyle brand 
Belstaff has opened its first store in Greater China, inside the Studio City resort in Macau.

    The opening of the Belstaff Macau boutique, on The Boulevard managed by Taubman Asia, follows the launch of Belstaff Korea last year with three stores. The brand will also open stores in Japan from March next year, as it continues to broaden its Asian footprint.

    CEO Gavin Haig said the Macau opening is an extension of Belstaff’s commitment to expand globally.

    “We are pleased to announce this opening in Macau showcasing the continuation of long-term investment for Belstaff in both China and wider Asia over the coming years. Studio City is destined to become a retail mecca within Macau and we are pleased to be a part of this luxury shopping experience.

    “Macau has a great reputation for luxury fashion and it makes sense to start our Chinese offering here, within one of the world’s most dynamic and exciting retail environments.”

    Belstaff has established a strategic partnership with Rainbow Group Macau for the new franchise.

    The store launches with the Autumn/Winter men’s and women’s collections “showcasing British heritage and design innovations, combined with a modern sensibility”. Belstaff’s hand-waxed cotton and leather pieces will be available there, in addition to seasonal ready-to-wear and accessories.

    The Studio City store references elements of the Belstaff House flagship on London’s New Bond St, designed by eminent interior designer and architect William Sofield. The 196 sqm store displays signature Belstaff characteristics including wooden floors, leather seating, custom cork walls and bespoke crafted cabinets to create an ambient and inviting atmosphere.

    Large-scale light boxes display current campaign imagery. The moto-heritage of the brand is referenced with a vintage Royal Enfield bike displayed at the front of the store.

    Archive imagery around the store depicts the brand’s 91-year history, including images of current Global Ambassador David Beckham.

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  • Singapore startup Semantics3 in new funding round

    Singapore startup Semantics3 in new funding round

    Singaporean software startup Semantics3 Friday said it has successfully closed a $1.55 million round of bridge funding, with Brussels-based seed investor E-Merge bringing $1.5 million to the table.

    The company will use the latest funding, which also saw participation from early-stage investor Zillionize, to expand its business team and ramp up sales efforts. The company had raised $600,000 from the two investors in a previous financing round in March 2013.

    “We are at break even, but we’re not profitable yet,” chief executive Varun Sivamani told CNBC.

    Semantics3’s proprietary software allows companies to more efficiently track their products. Conventional barcodes are unable to track products and prices in real time across the internet, which creates a conundrum for e-commerce retailers.

    The four-year-old startup’s over-the-top software solves this problem by allowing them to use their barcodes to access detailed information about any item in their inventory, and track the price of their products in real time across a variety of websites.

    While competitors Indix and Factual have more funding and a larger share of the market, Semantics3’s software is currently being used by retailers, as well logistics, industrial supply, and insurance companies, including Liberty Mutual and American Family Insurance, the company said.

    The brain child of three students from the National University of Singapore, Semantics3 in 2013 became the first Singaporean startup to make it into the prestigious Y Combinator accelerator program that has also seen participation from bitcoin wallet provider Coinbase and Codeacademy.

    With some 99 percent of Semantics3’s customers based in the US, the company is looking forward to stress testing some of its software’s new features during the Black Friday sales in the US later on this month.

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  • Coca-Cola Tmall flagship opens

    Coca-Cola Tmall flagship opens

    Coca-Cola, one of the world’s most iconic beverage brands, is opening a flagship store on Alibaba Group’s Tmall online marketplace.

    The Coca-Cola Tmall store comes just in time for the Global Shopping Festival, the world’s biggest online sale, on November 11.

    Coca-Cola has designed special packaging for the 24-hour 11.11 festival and its shop, now in trial operation in preparation for an official launch in early November, is already pre-selling four-packs of Coke priced at RMB 29 yuan (US$4.60) containing bottles adorned with images of Tmall’s cat mascot or the 11.11 festival logo.

    The shop will soon sell other Coca-Cola brands including Sprite, Fanta and Minute Maid, as well as related merchandise like the beverage company’s classic polar bear dolls, according to Coca-Cola.

    Coke and Alibaba have also agreed to collaborate on branding, marketing, offline services and the launch of exclusive products, according to a Chinese language press release issued by Alibaba. The collaboration shows a commitment by both parties to “embrace change and adapt to e-retail,” said Henrique Braun, Coca-Cola president of greater China & Korea, noting that the internet “has gradually changed people’s lives and consumer behavior.”

    The addition of Coke to its roster of merchants and brands participating in the 11.11 festival is a coup for Alibaba. The company has emphasised this year’s shopping bonanza is meant to be a global event, with overseas and global retailers selling directly to Chinese consumers through Tmall and consumers all over the world buying goods on Alibaba’s AliExpress international marketplace.

    Alibaba expects more than 5000 international brands from 25 countries and regions to participate in festival this year.

    To whet shoppers’ appetites for the sale, Alibaba and Coca-Cola plan to give away five million bottles of 300ml Cokes. Starting from November 1, the bonus bevvies will be distributed randomly to consumers who order other merchandise through Tmall.

    • Original reporting by Alizila, an independent but Alibaba-funded news resource on Alibaba’s global activities.
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  • Vietnam’s Vingroup snaps up local grocery chain

    Vietnam’s Vingroup snaps up local grocery chain

    Vietnam’s largest retail group has snapped up local supermarket chain Maximark.

    Vingroup, whose assets already include 12 Vincom shopping centres with a raft of its own retail brands inside, and 125 VinMart grocery stores, will rebrand the nine Maximark hypermarkets under the VinMart+ name.

    “The acquisition aims at expanding Vingroup’s retail network reinforcing the status of Vietnamese brands to create a counterweight to international brands that are coming into Vietnam,” Vingroup said in a statement.

    The seller is Hanoi-based An Phong JSC which developed the chain from scratch.

    “The nationwide expansion will assist the spread of Vietnamese product brands and help retain their market share, contributing to building the competitiveness of local manufacturers amid an influx of global companies into Vietnam,” Vingroup’s vice chairman Le Khac Hiep said.

    Vingroup plans to operate 40 shopping centres across the nation by the end of 2016 and 100 by 2020.

    In June, Vingroup Retail received a US$100 million private equity capital investment led by Warburg Pincus, to help fund its ambitious retail expansion plans.

    Vingroup Joint Stock Company is Vietnam’s largest publicly-traded real estate operator and one of its largest companies by market capitalisation.

    The Vincom Retail malls are home to more than 700 domestic and international brands, with major tenants such as Robins Department Store, Marks & Spencer, CJ CGV, Mango, DKNY, French Connection, BCBGMaxazria, Karen Millen, GAP, Lacoste, Nike, Adidas, Emigo, VinMart, VinPro and Vinpearl Land.

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  • Siam Center fashion pop up Asian labels

    Siam Center fashion pop up Asian labels

    ‘A-very-wear’ – a new exclusive multi-label Siam Center fashion pop-up store – aims to showcase Asian designers in Thailand.

    Located in the Ideapolis A-very-wear, bears the motto of “A piece that is very you to wear” on the Siam Center’s first floor.

    Parisa Chatnilbandhu, group senior VP – retail business development of Siam Piwat says fashion plays a major role in youngsters’ lifestyle, especially in Asia.

    “As we can see, the Fashion Week in each season in Korea, Japan and Singapore attracts hipsters from around the world, including Thai celebrities who fly to these countries just to bring the fashion items back.”

    A-very-wear 5

    Responding to the trend, Siam Center has created A-very-wear as a first exclusive multi-label fashion pop-up store of Asian designers, to “bring the ultimate Asian fashion experience to Thailand”.

    Siam Center has carefully selected a wide variety of well-designed products and introduces Absolute Siam items, which are exclusively available at Siam Center, to help the fashionistas make the style statement of their own under the motto of “ A piece that is very you to wear”, Parisa said.

    A-very-wear 4

    A-very-wear carries apparel, accessories, including eyeglasses, watches and more, from 15 renowned Asian fashion brands from six countries: Korea, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia and Taiwan.

    “Each designer is very popular on social media, with many followers on Facebook and Instagram. During the first six months, the hipsters can update the trend from four countries, namely Korea, Japan, Singapore and Taiwan, while the other two, Hong Kong and Indonesia, will join in the next six months.”

    For its opening, A-very-wear introduces six well-known Korean brands:

    • Fleamadonna, launched in 2007, has bold style and unique characteristic. It was well received by fashionistas and celebrity fans including Pink, Paris Hilton, Miranda Kerr and Girl’s Generation girl band.

    Fleamadonna- A-very-wearFleamadonna3-A-very-wear

    • Low Classic by Lee Myoung Shin presents the simple and classic ready-to-wear perfect for any occasion.

    Low Classic-A-very-wearLow Classic 2-A-very-wear

    • Drink Beer Save Water is originated from the fun idea of the designer Jim Park, who thought “Why don’t we drink beer to save the water?” From this extreme idea, he presents the unisex collection under the same name as his brand, which has been growing both male and female fan base. The clothes reflect their true personality, having fun dressing.

    Drink Beer Save Water- A-Very-wear

    • Rocket x Lunch is a woman’s fashion brand designed by the talented Jin Won Woo. The brand is popular among hipsters for its minimalist style that can be worn on any occasion. It also showcased its creation in “Who’s Next in Paris 2015 Spring Summer” in France.

    Rocket x Lunch - A-very-wearjpgRocket x Lunch A-very-wear

    • A.Bell Korean accessory brand was established in 2010. It includes bag decorations, necklaces and bangles to create a glamorous, trendy look.

    A.Bell 1- A-very-wear
    A.Bell- A-very-wear

    • Minuit Moins Sept, another chic Korean accessory brand, has the French name means ‘seven minutes to midnight.’ It indicates the beginning of a new day when good things are about to happen. Popular among male and female wearers, the simple yet elegant geometric design are made of silver 925 as the key material, with the key shade of gold, silver, dark blue, red and white.

    31.Minuit Moins SeptMinuit Moins Sept 1- A-very-wear

    Singaporean fashion labels include:

    • Mash-up, popular among fashion-forward people in Singapore, is the brainchild of three talented designers; a street fashion brand which incorporates inspiration from music, movies and the designers’ travelling experience.

    Mash ñ up-A-very-wear

    • Yesah, established by Linda Hao, a Chinese Singaporean-born designer, who combines her experience in modelling and an education in fashion. In 2013, she launched the brand with distinctive characteristic, to serve the lifestyle of confident ladies who enjoy life.

    Taiwanese brands include:

    • Momo’s March by Christina Lu, a Taiwanese American-born designer, who put together a range of materials, such as Russian diamond, brass, seashell, pearl and gemstones, into exquisite accessories under the concept of “Wearable thought,” practical for any time of day.

    Momoís march -A-very-wear

    • YU Square by Ringo Yu is famous for its sewing technique, which integrates the embroidery into the design. Furthermore, the fashionistas can mix and match its colorful blouses, skirts and socks to suit each occasion.

    YU Square A-very-wear

    From Japan:

    • Normal Timepieces, a minimalist-style Japanese watch brand, was brought to life by American designer Ross McBride. Having spent years in Japan, he was influenced by Japanese culture and incorporates it into his creation, which projects simplicity with a great sense of style.

    Normal Timepieces A-very-wear

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