Retail News CRM

Category: Fashion

Retail News Asia is committed to providing both local and global retailers with the latest Fashion news throughout the Asian market. This on a daily base.

  • Eventbrite with Louis Vuitton Launching in Hong Kong

    Eventbrite with Louis Vuitton Launching in Hong Kong

    Global ticketing and event technology platform Eventbrite has launched in Hong Kong, with retailer Louis Vuitton one of its first customers. Eventbrite forged a partnership with the French luxury-goods label under which the ticketing company managed entry to Louis Vuitton’s recent Objets Nomades showcase at Tai Kwun.

    The launch of a localized platform in Hong Kong is the latest move in Eventbrite’s Asian expansion, following the company’s debut in Singapore in February. Eventbrite has processed more than 2.2 million tickets for 34,000 events in Hong Kong. In Hong Kong it has more than 6500 event creators using the platform.

    Located at Eventbrite.hk, the new localized access point will be one of the first in Asia to use Eventbrite’s ‘Publish To Facebook’ feature – an integration allowing event-goers to purchase tickets directly through Facebook – alongside payment processing in Hong Kong Dollars, curated local content and seamless native checkout.

    The company says it has seen strong organic growth in health and wellness, food and wine, and music events in Hong Kong, with events such as The Conscious Festival and Hellodog Fest.

    Phil Silverstone, GM, Asia Pacific, said that as a global city, Hong Kong punches well above its weight.

    “From its vibrant foodie culture to its booming local arts and emerging music scenes, live experiences are a cornerstone of this dynamic, fast-paced city – and we’re excited to launch a platform that will power even more events for locals to enjoy,” he said.

  • Jason Wu’s designer brand Jwu Bought by Chinese Investors

    Jason Wu’s designer brand Jwu Bought by Chinese Investors

    New York fashion label Jwu under designer Jason Wu has been purchased by Chinese private equity fund Green Harbor.

    The acquisition was announced on Green Harbor’s WeChat account without disclosing the financial details of the transaction. It is the first time the firm has invested in an American company or an apparel brand.

    “China is a critically important market for luxury brands and is an integral part of our growth plans,”  said Jason Wu CEO Eddie Volchko. “Green Harbor’s knowledge and expertise in the Chinese market will be a significant resource to us as we continue to build Jason Wu’s presence in China.”

    An 11 percent shareholding in Jwu was purchased by Chinese firm Zhejiang Semir Garment Co last year.

    The deal is likely to boost Jason Wu’s presence in China, which is expected to overtake the US as the largest fashion market this year.

    “As Jason Wu further expands its business in the Chinese market,” read the Green Harbor WeChat statement, “our firm’s experience will help the brand reshape its management team, strengthen marketing and sales, and provide resources across media, real estate, and finance to help the label develop in China and obtain commercial success.”

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Louis Vuitton sues Belle International For Copycatting

    Louis Vuitton sues Belle International For Copycatting

    French luxury retailer says Hong Kong company’s shoe designs too similar to its own to be coincidental.

    Luxury fashion house Louis Vuitton is suing two Belle International subsidiaries for copyright infringement.

    The Chinese footwear brands are being taken to court over the design over a pair of trainers valued at HK$8950 (US$1140).

    A High Court document described the case accusing Hong Kong-registered firms Belle International (China) and Best Able Footwear of retailing sneakers substantially similar to its LV Archlight trainers. Louis Vuitton has demanded the firms cease all infringements and hand over or destroy the alleged copies.

    The trial date has yet to be scheduled.

    Lees ook:

  • Hugo Boss in Asia Down in latest Quarter

    Hugo Boss in Asia Down in latest Quarter

    Sales by Hugo Boss in Asia rose by 4 percent in the latest quarter.

    However, the German fashion company observed that double-digit growth in Mainland China overshadowed a “tougher” market environment in Hong Kong and Macau.

    Worldwide sales rose by 4 percent, a rate tempered by an 8 percent decline in currency-adjusted terms in the US market.

    First-quarter operating profit fell 22 percent to €55 million on sales of €664 million.

    While Hugo Boss’ share price has slumped by 19 percent over the past year, the company says its performance has been impacted by reorganization costs, higher marketing spends and the strength of the dollar.

    Finance chief Yves Mueller said the revamp of key stores should boost the company’s performance with New York and Tokyo flagships already performing well since their reopening and renovations of others in Paris and Chicago soon to be completed.

    “Store optimizations will drive performance,” he told an analysts briefing.

    A shift in focus to a younger target demographic is also paying dividends for Hugo Boss. Sales of its Hugo brand of casual wear rose in the double digits, compensating for flat sales of the core Boss brand and a marginal decline in business apparel.

    First-quarter online sales rose by 26 percent and the company plans to continue to invest in digitalization.

    Lees ook:

  • Brooks Running moves China footwear production to Vietnam

    Brooks Running moves China footwear production to Vietnam

    The chief executive of Brooks Running, part of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc, said his company will shed much of its presence in China by moving running shoe production to Vietnam, a result of the trade dispute between China and the US.

    Jim Weber, who has run Brooks since 2001, said in an interview that Brooks made the decision in January when US President Donald Trump was threatening to boost tariffs on the shoes to 45 percent from 20 percent.

    Weber said the tariff threat weighed “massively” because Brooks cannot simply raise prices on its shoes, which typically retail for US$100 to $160 a pair, and though trade tensions have cooled, the company could not wait for a resolution.

    “We’re going to pull most of our production out of China,” he said. “We’ve had to make a long-term decision on this picture. It’s disruptive, but the reality. So we’ll be predominantly in Việt Nam by the end of the year.”

    About 8,000 jobs will also move to Vietnam from China, Weber added.

    Việt Nam is emerging as a preferred destination for companies looking to move production because of tariff concerns.

    The country generates about 55 percent of Brooks’ running shoe production, with China accounting for the remainder. Brooks shoes are sold in 56 countries and account for the bulk of the Seattle-based company’s annual revenue, which grew 26 percent last year to $644 million.

    Revenue from January to April is up 22 percent in 2019, and Weber is targeting full-year revenue of just under $750 million. He hopes revenue will reach $1 billion by 2021. Brooks also sells apparel.

    Weber said Brooks may start shoe production in a third, yet-to-be-determined country next year. The eventual breakdown could be 65 percent from Việt Nam, 10 percent from China and 25 percent from the third country, he said.

    Brooks plans to continue research and development, as well as small production runs of shoes, in China.

    Weber also said Brooks hoped to “prototype small, custom personalized shoe runs” in the US within the next several years, but much of the company’s technical know-how and automation is in Asia. “Volume is a long ways away,” he said.

    Brooks became part of Berkshire in 2006 when Berkshire’s Fruit of the Loom unit bought its parent at the time, Russell Corp. Berkshire spun out Brooks as a standalone unit in 2012.

    Weber began reporting last year to Berkshire Vice Chairman Greg Abel, after previously reporting to Buffett.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Daniel Wellington launched Moments of Love Concept

    Daniel Wellington launched Moments of Love Concept

    Watches and accessories retailer Daniel Wellington has launched a new pop-up with Shinsegae Myeongdong in Seoul. The DW Moments of Love pop-up will run from May 1 to July 3, in line with the brand’s #DWMoments global campaign designed to encourage influencers to open up and share a “true, personal, special moment that they cherish”.

    The campaign features in-depth interviews with different influencers from diverse backgrounds and different corners of the world sharing the most significant moments of their lives, and letting fans see the people behind the Instagram filters and hear the moments that shaped them as human beings.

    “When customers visit Shinsegae Duty-Free, they can meet the hottest brand – Daniel Wellington at our exclusive Moments of Love pop-up,” said Shinsegae’s watch and jewelry GM Sunyung Hong. “I am happy to open this pop-up together with DW, where not only couples but also friends and family can share their precious moments.”

    “With engagement being at the core of our brand, an authentic connection with our fans is a part of our DNA – whether it be online, or offline in our travel retail locations,” stated a press release issued by Daniel Wellington.

    “We believe in meaningful retailtainment, and it is wonderful that our fans can capture their moments through the bullet time cameras, and add their personal meaningful touch on their DW gifts to their loved ones through the ribbon printing service which will be exclusively available at the pop-up!”

    The event concept and offers will be exclusive to Shinsegae for the duration of the pop-up.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Xtep Takes Over Footwear brands Palladium, K-Swiss and Supra

    Xtep Takes Over Footwear brands Palladium, K-Swiss and Supra

    Palladium, K-Swiss and Supra brands sold by South Korean’owned E-Land Footwear USA.

    Hong Kong-listed sportswear giant Xtep International has bought three US footwear brands from South Korea’s E-Land USA.

    The Chinese company will pay US$260 million for all the outstanding shares in E-Land Footwear USA Holdings, which owns the K-Swiss, Palladium and Supra brands. Settlement is due by the end of July.

    Xtep chairman and CEO Ding Shui Po said the purchase marked the company’s move into “a new era of business” following a three-year strategic transformation.

    He said the brands would complement Xtep’s product portfolio “and elevate us as one of the leading global multi-brand sportswear companies”.

    “Not only will it strengthen Xtep’s foothold in the expanding Chinese sportswear market, but will also provide us with growth opportunities in untapped overseas markets such as Southeast Asia. In other words, Xtep has what it takes to speed up business growth both domestically and overseas in the years to come.”

    All three brands have global name recognition and are target the high end of the market.

    K-Swiss, a heritage athletic shoe brand which was founded in California in 1966, offers performance tennis footwear, lifestyle and fitness footwear targeting athletes and trendsetters. Palladium is one of the best-known global pampa boot brands established in France in 1947. Between them, the brands have a global presence covering more than 80 countries and territories.

    Ding Shui Po said the brands’ distinctive positioning and different target customer groups are highly complementary to Xtep’s brand portfolio.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • La Chapelle sales Slump Again

    La Chapelle sales Slump Again

    La Chapelle sales slumped 21 per cent in the first quarter to RMB2.372 billion (US$352 million) as the Hong Kong-listed fashion retailer continued its restructuring.

    The troubled retailer has closed 1877 loss-making and inefficient stores in the past year, leaving it with 9540 at the end of March, and representing the shuttering of one in five directly operated outlets.

    Net profit attributable to shareholders plunged 94.4 per cent to RMB9.751 million (US$1.44 million).

    In a shareholder update, La Chapelle said weak consumer confidence and the continued overall negligible growth of apparel spending compared with the second half of last year had also impacted on sales in the March quarter.

    According to the National Bureau of Statistics data, Mainland China sales of shoes, hats and apparel grew by just 3.3 per cent year on year, a rate five percentage points less than the growth rate of all consumer goods sales.

    “Furthermore, the Chinese New Year holiday of 2019 was 11 days earlier than that of 2018, which had an adverse effect on the sales of winter products for the first quarter. The revenues of the ladies’ apparel brands such as La Chapelle, Puella, 7 Modifier as well as La Babite for the first quarter had a year-on-year decrease of 26.65 per cent, 29.76 per cent, 22.91 per cent and 23.06 per cent respectively, which is mainly due to the decrease in direct-sale stores, the change in numbers of ultimate consumers, and the increase in proportion of sales of obsolete inventories,” the company said.

    Lees ook:

  • Amore Pacific launches Etude House

    Amore Pacific launches Etude House

    Amorepacific Group, the largest global beauty company headquartered in Korea, has launched Etude House in India.

    Etude House has become the third Amorepacific brand introduced to India after Innisfree and Laneige. The brand made its debut on the Indian market on April 30th exclusively through beauty retailer Nykaa.

    Amorepacific plans to expand e-commerce channels to increase reach with millennial customers in the territory, communicating with Indian consumers through Instagram.

    “The Indian beauty market is growing by nearly 10 per cent every year, and this fast growth is driven by millennial customers with increasing disposable incomes and growing interests in global beauty,” said Amorepacific’s group strategy unit head Lee Chang-kyoo. “We see tremendous potential in India to support our goal of strengthening the experience of Asian beauty in the region.”

    “With the launch of Etude House in India, we seek to offer the best beauty experience to our Indian customers – with products that are backed by over 70 years of studies in natural ingredients and world-class innovative technology. This year, we plan to boost our brand operations through online channels.”

    Nykaa chief business officer Nihir Parikh added: “Over the last two years, Nykaa brought Korean beauty to India, introducing customers to their unique innovations and ingredients. The category has been a great success with our customers, who are keen to experience such global trends.”

  • MCM Japan opens Their Largest Store in Tokyo

    MCM Japan opens Their Largest Store in Tokyo

    MCM Japan has launched its largest flagship yet in Tokyo. The German luxury accessories brand’s new boutique, follows new locations in Berlin and Los Angeles earlier this year, presents a new architectural landmark with a nine-storey, 2880sqm space. Ginza Haus I is located in Tokyo’s tourist district, which plays host to the city’s luxury fashion precinct.

    The store facade features granite grey marble with oversized LED panels displaying the brand’s logo, while the store’s interior features wood and marble fixtures in a fusion classical/modern design aesthetic.

    The flagship’s lower floors are dedicated to seasonal collections, while upper floors include a showroom, a VIP lounge, experience-driven retail installations, and a cafe, as well as a gallery and performance space.

  • Under Armour Singapore showcases Rush

    Under Armour Singapore showcases Rush

    Under Armour Singapore has partnered with Celliant to create performance apparel line UA Rush and Recovery.

    Designed to enhance performance, the collection includes men’s and women’s fitted tees, long-sleeved shirts, leggings and tights and more.

    All pieces will range from S$69-$199, and are now available for purchase on Under Armour Singapore’s online store, retail stores in Orchard Central, Bugis Junction, VivoCity, and through authorised Under Armour resellers.

    In conjunction with the launch, Under Armour is hosting an admission-free “Rush & Recovery Experience” at Orchard Central Discovery Walk until May 2.

    The interactive exhibits bring to life the inner workings of Rush technology. Distinct experiential zones will showcase how the technology generates performance improvements for the wearer, and helps power recovery.

    Another zone, “Test of Will”, features Under Armour’s annual advanced urban fitness challenge where visitors can see a preview of this year’s unique challenges and put their grit, strength and determination to the test.

    Under Armour’s Rush-and-Recovery-engineered fabric promotes improved performance and energy return. It is intended to provide the same benefits to the body as an infrared sauna.

    “The introduction of UA Rush is our commitment to giving athletes 360-degrees of training support both in the gym and beyond,” said Dan Leraris, GM of men’s training at Under Armour.

    “With the launch of UA Rush, we now complete the training cycle – there is now UA gear designed to optimise human performance at every training occasion.”

    Under Armour athletes from around the globe have been training in UA Rush including Singapore Athletic Association athletes such as swimmer Amanda Lim, marathon runner Jasmine Goh, master coach at Ritual Gym, Shrek Ismail, and SuperheroRunners founder Nelson Wong.

    Lees ook:

  • Hong Kong designers showcased at Arab Fashion Week

    Hong Kong designers showcased at Arab Fashion Week

    Fashion Farm Foundation present international program at Dubai. Fashion Farm Foundation has showcased Hong Kong designers in international fashion program HKFG Dubai AW19 during Arab Fashion Week.

    Two Hong Kong local brands, Car|2ie and YLYstudio, presented their latest collections to showcase their works to the fashion media, buyer, insider and fashionistas. A cocktail reception was also arranged to feature eight Hong Kong local brands, introducing their designs to the invited guests.

    While the theme of the Car|2ie AW19 collection “The Proud Rose” is inspired by the Hong Kong movie “Lost Romance” and the main character Rose’s curiosity about love, the YLYstudio collection “Project” attempts a timeless and classic design without the frame of time.

    Famous Arab actor Ali Alketbi, Italian influencer Marco Parrino and singer Ghazal Sadat showed up at the event to show support for Hong Kong’s fashion design.

  • Esprit’s restructuring shows first Results

    Esprit’s restructuring shows first Results

    Esprit’s restructure is beginning to pay off, the company says, despite another quarterly same-store-sales decline.

    For the three months to March 31, Esprit sales were HK$3.156 billion (US$402.3 million), down 11.6 per cent in local currency on the same period a year earlier. However, the company said that marks an improvement on the 12.4 per cent reduction in retail space occupied by the fashion brand.

    “This is the first-time since the first quarter of 2017-18 where the group recorded a quarterly revenue decline that is less than the corresponding space reduction,” the company said in a stock-exchange filing.

    “It is worth noting that while the quarter recorded a revenue decline, the rate of decline has continued to narrow quarter-on-quarter, reflecting a positive trend of improvement.”

    During the first quarter to September 30, sales declined 16.2 per cent, in the next quarter by 12.5 per cent and now to 11.6 per cent.

    The “improvement” was mainly driven by Germany which accounted for the largest share of the group’s sales. For Asia Pacific, the higher rate of revenue decline in the second quarter and third quarter was mainly due to the group exiting Australia and New Zealand, where all stores were closed by the end of last September as part of Esprit’s restructure.

    The company said it remains focused on the execution of its Strategy Plan to restore Esprit to sustainable growth and profitability.

    “Management is encouraged by the quarter-on-quarter improvements seen in different aspects of the business … and the progress of the strategic initiatives are progressing well and on track.

    The group is encouraged by the initial progress achieved during the early stages of the Strategy Plan, and this gives us confidence that we are on the right track. However, it is important to appreciate that the strategic closure of loss-making stores will exert pressure on our top-line in the short term, and as other initiatives are still work-in-progress at this stage, it will require time to make the corresponding improvements in brand and product visible to our customers for attracting them back into Esprit stores.”

    Lees ook:

  • Puma profit Down

    Puma profit Down

    Sportswear giant’s sales and profit soar, with China one of its greatest performing markets.

    Puma is celebrating its “best quarter ever” as sales, gross margin and profit reached record levels.

    On a currency-adjusted basis sales reached €1.319 billion (US$1.476 billion) up 15.3 per cent, while on a reported basis, sales growth was 16.6 per cent.

    The German-headquarted sportswear retailer said the increase reflected continued growth in all regions and product divisions across the business.

    Gross profit margin improved by 80 basis points to 49 per cent and EBIT by 27 per cent to €143 million. Net earnings rose 40.1 per cent to €94.4 million in the quarter.

    “The first quarter of 2019 was the best quarter Puma has ever seen,” said Bjorn Gulden, Puma’s CEO. “Revenues … were the highest Puma has ever achieved in a quarter and the EBIT … was also the highest absolute EBIT Puma has ever achieved. So, it has been a very good start into the year.”

    By region, Asia-Pacific – driven by China – and the Americas contributed with double-digit sales growth, while sales in Europe, Middle East and Africa increased “solidly,” the company said.

    By division, apparel was the main growth driver in the quarter, followed by accessories and footwear. The categories running and training, teamsport, motorsport and golf on the performance side, as well as sportstyle all recorded strong growth.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Klasse14 Store opens in Japan

    Klasse14 Store opens in Japan

    Timepiece maker Klasse14 has opened a flagship store in Shibuya, Tokyo.

    The new flagship joins the brand’s more than 350 points of sale in Tokyo, with a design representing the brand’s new minimalist, urbanised creative direction with black, white and wooden motifs.

    The brand has established markets throughout Asia, Australia, and the US via e-commerce sales and hundreds of points of sale and kiosks with its retail partners. Its momentum is largely driven by millennial fans spreading information about the brand online.

    Admirers of the brand are expecting a number of brand activation events to be held later this year.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook: