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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.

  • DFS launches exclusive TIFFANY T Collection worldwide

    DFS launches exclusive TIFFANY T Collection worldwide

    DFS Group, the world’s leading luxury travel retailer, is excited to announce the launch of four exclusive Tiffany T pendants, available exclusively in DFS airport and T Galleria stores from November 1, 2018 until April 2019. Inspired by the iconic New York skyline, the new DFS x Tiffany T Collection features two pendant necklaces in 18K white gold with blue sapphires, and two pendant necklaces in 18K rose gold with pink sapphires, each with an adjustable 16-18 inch chain.

    The Tiffany T Collection embodies everything Tiffany stands for – freedom, happiness, love and strength. Designed with the letter T, as tall, true and iconic as the New York City skyline, a place of courage and reinvention that constantly sparks creativity.

    The strong, graphic form of the letter T is simplified, deconstructed and extended to form the chic necklaces with clean lines and modern angles. The Tiffany T designs are meant to complement each other; they can be boldly stacked and layered or can be worn alone for a sleek and elegant look.

    “The exclusive collection reflects the confident customer who takes a fearless approach to style and we are thrilled to partner with DFS to bring Tiffany & Co.’s signature take on luxury to travelers globally,” said Wong Wei Ling, Vice President, Asia Pacific, Tiffany & Co.

    “At DFS we continually seek to offer our traveling customers new, exclusive and memorable product selections, in partnership with some of the best-known brands in the world. We are delighted to join with Tiffany & Co. to provide first access to the beautiful Tiffany T pendant collection for our discerning customers worldwide,” said Matthew Green, DFS Group Senior Vice President, Watches and Jewelry.

    As graphic and linear as the city that defined this design, the Tiffany T collection is a timeless symbol of modernism and self-expression.

    The Tiffany T collection range will be available exclusively for purchase at DFS and T Galleria by DFS stores worldwide until April 2019.

     

    T Galleria by DFS, Hong Kong, Canton Road

    T Galleria by DFS, Hong Kong, Tsim Sha Tsui East

    T Galleria by DFS, Macau, City of Dreams

    T Galleria by DFS, Macau, Shoppes at Four Seasons

    T Galleria by DFS, Singapore

    DFS, Kansai International Airport, Osaka

    T Galleria by DFS, Okinawa

    T Galleria by DFS, Saipan

    T Galleria by DFS, Bali

    T Galleria by DFS, Angkor

    T Galleria by DFS, Guam

    T Fondaco dei Tedeschi by DFS, Venice

    T Galleria by DFS, Sydney

    T Galleria by DFS, Auckland

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  • WatchTime New York 2018 Wraps Up After Another Record Year

    WatchTime New York 2018 Wraps Up After Another Record Year

    WatchTime New York, America’s largest public watch event dedicated solely to collectors and enthusiasts, wrapped up its fourth year in Manhattan at Gotham Hall today. The two-day event began with a sold-out VIP cocktail party on Friday, October 26, followed by a full day of exciting panels, seminars, tours, and events on Saturday, October 27. Over the course of the two-day show, over 1,400 attendees came to see the latest watches from 35 internationally renowned watch brands: the largest number of exhibitors and the highest number of registered attendees the WatchTime New York Show has seen to date.

    WatchTime Magazine presented the annual event for the fourth consecutive year with returning partner, media platform WatchAnish. Additional supporting partners included SWISS Airlines, Wempe, and Four Roses bourbon, along with The Wall Street Journal, Robb Report, Gear Patrol, Watchonista, The Horological Society of New York, and the RedBar Group. WatchTime New York 2018’s guests included notable international watch collectors, timepiece enthusiasts, and social media influencers, with an appearance during the VIP cocktail event on Friday, October 26, by Number-1 ranked amateur boxer, Brian Ceballo.

    Over four years, the event’s runaway success has exceeded all expectations, a phenomenon reflecting the changing landscape of the watch industry’s annual event calendar and the rising importance of the United States watch market. The WatchTime New York show has become both a direct-to-consumer experience and hub for the industry. This direct-to-consumer event format is uniquely tailored to the U.S. market: a formula that is as much the New York Fashion Week of watches as it is an enthusiast meet-up, trunk show exhibition, and educational forum.

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  • Skechers launched biggest Southeast Asia flagship store in Bangkok

    Skechers launched biggest Southeast Asia flagship store in Bangkok

    Bangkok’s CentralWorld shopping centre is home to the newly opened Skechers Thailand flagship store. The North American footwear company says Thailand represents its fastest-growing market in the region which is why the store, at 275sqm, is its largest yet in Southeast Asia. In the first nine months of the year, sales grew by more than 50 per cent.

    The new store features the Skechers apparel range for the first time in the market, with management hoping that will grow to account for up to 30 per cent of Thailand sales volume.

    Kaimuk Nilsatetee, assistant VP of CRC Sports, the licensee for Skechers Thailand, said the company sold about 400,000 pairs of Skechers across the country last year and is targeting double that number this year.

    “Skechers shoes generate the most sales revenue for CRC Sports,” Kaimuk said. “Its performance has gone well since expanding its business to Thailand in the past several years.”

    CRC Sports sells Skechers in 32 concept stores, two outlet stores, 25 concessions and through 95 resellers. Another 12 stores are planned for next year.

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  • Bata Malaysia Opens Their First Exclusive Kids-Only Store

    Bata Malaysia Opens Their First Exclusive Kids-Only Store

    Bata Malaysia has opened the first Bata Kids concept store at Sunway Pyramid. Located on the first floor of the mall, the store offers children’s footwear and accessories from brands such as Bubblegummers, Disney’s Marvel, Hello Kitty, Barbie, and My Little Pony.

    “The flagship store is carefully constructed to be fun and colourful in order to appeal to the kids. This extends to the store’s design as well as visual merchandising,” the company said in a statement.

    An area is designated for kids to unleash their creativity through drawing and there is plenty of room to accommodate strollers.

    Bata Malaysia is offering a promotion on October 31, where the first 10 walk-in customers to flash the Bata Malaysia Facebook/Instagram page to the cashier will receive free shoes.

    The next 40 walk-in customers will be entitled to a RM20 voucher.

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  • Pandora opens fifth concept store at New Delhi Terminal 1D

    Pandora opens fifth concept store at New Delhi Terminal 1D

    Pandora has recently opened its fifth store at New Delhi Terminal 1D. This will be the third store opening in 2018 for Pandora. The brand launched its first store at DLF Mall of India, Noida in April 2017, followed by Select Citywalk in September 2017, DLF Promenade in April 2018 and Galleria Market Gurgaon in June 2018.

    The contemporary and aesthetically designed concept store is located on the ground floor of the domestic airport in the departure holding area of Terminal 1D, New Delhi. The new store carries the entire Pandora jewellery collection available worldwide, including the moments collection, the essence collection, Pandora Rose collection; the all-new 18k gold plated sterling silver-Pandora shine collection.

    Pandora has always encouraged women to empower themselves by celebrating their achievements. These collections are designed to capture life’s unforgettable moments at affordable prices.

    Speaking on the opening, Kanika Bakshi Talwar and Devika Bakshi, Managing Director, say, “We are proud to enter a different format of a concept store, our first in any airport in the country. This store will cater to a large variety of domestic shoppers outside of Delhi NCR and spread the excitement across various cities. Accessibility to our products would be easier now for travelers and we hope to expand further and provide an opportunity for all Indian consumers to acquire their Pandora products in the near future.”

    The Terminal 1D store is a medium size concept store, with all collections available in-store, and is aesthetically designed to give customers ample browsing space to make their shopping experience very comfortable in-transit.

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  • Alibaba, Richemont ink deal to bring YNAP to China

    Alibaba, Richemont ink deal to bring YNAP to China

    Alibaba is to launch Yoox Net-A-Porter China after entering into a partnership with Yoox’s owner, Swiss luxury fashion group Richemont. Under the partnership, YNAP and Alibaba will establish a joint venture (JV) to launch two mobile apps for YNAP’s Net-A-Porter and Mr Porter multi-brand, in-season online stores for consumers in China. Alibaba will provide technology infrastructure, marketing, payments, logistics and other technology support to the JV.

    The partnership will use YNAP’s strong relationship with leading luxury brands, some 950 of them being currently distributed through YNAP in China, and launch the brands on Alibaba’s Tmall Luxury Pavilion.

    “Chinese customers at home and abroad are an increasingly important customer base for Richemont and for the broader luxury industry,” said Richemont chairman Johann Rupert.

    “Our digital offering in China is in its infancy and we believe that partnering with Alibaba will enable us to become a significant and sustainable online player in this market. Alibaba has become the preferred online destination in China, with world-class teams in technology, logistics and marketing.”

    Rupert said the company would work with Alibaba to ensure Net-A-Porter and Mr Porter continued to expand “as neutral, open and sophisticated platforms”.

    YNAP group CEO Federico Marchetti said Alibaba provided “a neutral and powerful platform to maximise China’s immense potential” for the group.

    Daniel Zhang, CEO of Alibaba Group, added: “We believe this announcement is just the beginning of a long-term partnership, and together we are committed to exploring many more opportunities to collaborate in the future.”

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  • US sports apparel firm mulls ditching China for Vietnam

    US sports apparel firm mulls ditching China for Vietnam

    U.S. sports apparel company Brooks Running is considering shifting its manufacturing operations from China to Vietnam to avoid trade war tariffs. The firm’s CEO Jim Weber said Monday that the impact of President Donald Trump’s trade war with China is going to put a 45-percent tariff on his company’s running shoes.

    “We’re preparing for a 25 percent tariff on our business and that’s on top of 20 percent already on running shoes. It’s really going to be upsetting for us,” Weber said.

    Vietnam will be a “possible” new supply chain for Brooks, Weber said, adding that the transition will likely cost “millions” of dollars.

    Weber said he was confident that the move will allow his company to be more competitive in the U.S. and in the world as the tariffs are lower in Vietnam.

    He added that the transition, if it happened, would likely to be permanent.

    The U.S.-China trade war escalated last month as the U.S. levied new tariffs of 10 percent on about $200 billion worth of Chinese products, with the tariffs to go up to 25 percent by the end of this year.

    China retaliated immediately with 5 and 10 percent tariffs on $60 billion worth of U.S. products.

    The announcement by Brooks, which sells sports footwear, apparel, bras and accessories in 50 countries worldwide, came after Adidas CEO Kasper Rorsted said in May that his company is shifting footwear sourcing from China to Vietnam.

    Vietnam has in fact overtaken China as Adidas’ top supplier, with Vietnamese factories producing 44 percent of its shoes by volume last year against 19 percent by Chinese manufacturers, according to the company’s data.

    This is also true of Adidas’rival Nike, which had 46 percent of its footwear made in Vietnam last year, against 27 percent in China.

    Vietnam’s footwear exporters seem to be benefiting from the ongoing trade war.

    In the first nine months this year, Vietnam’s footwear exports were worth $11.74 billion, a 10.2 percent year-on-year increase.

    Vietnam is the second biggest exporter of footwear to the U.S. behind China, shipping 404 million pairs of shoes last year.

    Last year, Vietnam’s footwear exports were worth $14.65 billion.

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  • Esprit sales continues to dive

    Esprit sales continues to dive

    Esprit sales slumped further in the first quarter as the embattled fashion brand’s store network continued to shrink. In a stock exchange filing on Friday, Esprit said group revenue for the quarter to September 30 slumped 16.2 per cent year on year in local currency while its own offline store sales area reduced by 10.6 per cent, to HK$3.34 billion (US$425.8 million). The company’s own-managed stores, which account for 37 per cent of the company’s total turnover, fell by 17.8 per cent.

    “The decline was due to a reduction in net sales area of 11.5 per cent year on year, a result of continued rationalisation of our distribution footprint, including the closure of the Australia and New Zealand markets and a decline in comparable retail store sales (excluding e-shop) of 14.1 per cent … mainly due to declining customer traffic to our stores and extended warm summer temperature in Europe which impacted sales of our autumn merchandise,” the company said.

    Offline same-store sales in Asia Pacific grew by 0.3 per cent, mainly due to promotional activities. But online sales, which accounted for 24.9 per cent of the company’s revenue, fell by 14.9 per cent globally.

    Eshop, almost entirely in Europe and representing 24.9 per cent of group revenue, recorded a decrease of 14.9 per cent. Online sales in Asia Pacific, which account for a mere 2.6 per cent of total e-shop sales, plummeted 36.7 per cent, largely blamed on the closure of the Australia-New Zealand business.

    Wholesale revenue, almost entirely from Europe, fell 15.5 per cent.

    The company reiterated comments made after its dire full-year results were released last month, which included a US$325.5 million loss in the year to June 30: “Corrective measures are in place to reignite sales momentum.”

    A strategy plan will be released on November 26 outlining how the company plans to sharpen its brand identity, putting the customer at the centre of everything it does; improve product offering and brand positioning; reduce complexity and improve accountability in the organisation; become a leaner organisation; and eliminate loss-making parts of the business.

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  • Puma global sales grow on more stores number

    Puma global sales grow on more stores number

    Puma worldwide sales increased by 17 per cent on a constant currency basis in the first nine months of this year as the sportswear label achieved growth in every region. Asia and the Americas drove sales, with both markets achieving double-digit growth year-on-year.

    Sales for the period reached €3.422 billion, with gross profit margin by by 150 basis points to 48.8 per cent. Operating profit rose 40 per cent from €215 million to €300 million and net earnings from €134 million last year to €176 million.

    CEO Bjorn Gulden said Puma was still witnessing large shifts in product trends and consumer demand, “but feel we have reacted fast enough to continue our growth”.

    The company’s move to expand its own-operated store network is paying off, with sales up 22..5 per cent year to date, increasing the share of the company’s overall sales to 22.5 per cent. The company said additional stores, improving same-store sales and e-commerce all contributed to the increase.

  • Incheon to get on-arrival duty-free store in May

    Incheon to get on-arrival duty-free store in May

    The Incheon International Airport Corporation is planning to open Korea’s first on-arrival duty-free store in May next year. The airport operator announced on Sunday that it has commissioned a study to look into how it can optimize the duty-free service, which will be concluded by the end of the year.

    The study will focus on deciding the location and size of the shops in order to maximize customer experience by reducing congestion.

    Additionally, the research will consider the possibility of setting the rent for the duty-free shops based on revenue instead of unilaterally applying a fixed rate.

    In order to ease the burden on interior costs, Incheon airport will be responsible for basic interior constructions, while duty-free operators will only have to provide the finishing touches.

    This is because only SMEs will be allowed to bid for the slots.

    The Incheon airport said it will start taking bids for the duty-free shops in February and finalize candidates by April. It added that it will have a larger ratio of Korean companies controlling the arrival duty-free shops compared to departure stores. However, as the government earlier announced, the arrival duty-free shops will not sell cigarettes or products that are controlled by customs quarantine regulations such as fruit and meat products.

    The airport said it will work with the government to finalize plans to return some of the profits that it makes from renting the spaces to duty-free operators in March.

    Incheon airport Terminals 1 and 2 have units available for duty-free shops targeting customers arriving in Seoul. On the first floor of Terminal 1 there are two 190 square-meter (2,045 square feet) areas. On the first floor of Terminal 2 there is a 326 square-meter space. Currently these areas are not in use.

    The Ministry of Finance and Economy in late September announced plans to open the country’s first duty-free store available to returning travelers in May next year. The ministry was responding to an order from President Moon Jae-in to review the possibility of an on-arrival duty-free shop during a meeting he had with Blue House senior officials and secretaries in August.

    The purpose was to make travel less inconvenient for Korean tourists who were purchasing goods while departing Incheon and carrying them throughout their trip.

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  • Gucci powers Kering third quarter sales

    Gucci powers Kering third quarter sales

    Kering sales growth significantly outpaced its rivals during the third quarter, up 27.6 per cent as reported and 27.5 per cent on a comparable basis, to €3.402 billion. In Kering-operated stores, Asia Pacific sales rose 33.3 per cent on a comparable basis, bettered only by North America’s 36.1 per cent increase. Growth in online sales exceeded 80 per cent and wholesale sales rose 27 per cent.

    “We are extraordinarily proud of the remarkable performances Kering delivers quarter after quarter,” said chairman and CEO Francois-Henri Pinault. “Our growth, whose pace is unprecedented in the luxury sector, is sound, well balanced and sustained across all regions and distribution channels.”

    Pinault said the company’s enduring success comes down to the talent of each of its brands in “creating strong emotional ties with its customers, conceiving a bold, generous creative universe, and reinventing its codes”.

    “Beyond short-term developments, we know that the secular growth of the luxury market, but particularly our solid fundamentals and the discipline with which we implement our strategy, will continue to support our operating and financial outperformance.”

    Gucci led Kering sales growth during the quarter, with sales up 35.1 percent and strong performance across all distribution channels, regions and product categories. Gucci Asia-Pacific sales soared 41.9 per cent.

    Yves Saint Laurent sales rose 16.1 per cent, driven by the strong performance of iconic lines and the success of new collections.

    While Bottega Veneta sales were down 8.4 per cent on a comparable basis, the label is in a transitional phase led by recently appointed creative director Daniel Lee (ex Celine). His first full collection will go on sale early next year.

    Kering’s other houses (labels) achieved a 32.3 per cent increase in sales, driven by  “exceptional momentum” at Balenciaga and ongoing growth at Alexander McQueen. New collections and extended iconic lines from Boucheron, Pomellato and Qeelin were “very well received”.

    The watches and jewellery categories delivered what the company described as “solid performances”.

  • Moncler sales boosted by China market

    Moncler sales boosted by China market

    Asia has proven to be the core driver of Moncler sales growth year to date. The edgy Italian fashion house which specialises in outdoor wear reported a 23 per cent increase in global sales this week in the nine months to September 30, measured in constant currency.

    But Asia and the ‘rest of world’ (which excludes Europe and the Americas) significantly outperformed the brand’s core markets, with sales up 39 per cent.

    And Chinese shoppers – who now account for about one-third of the world’s luxury goods market – are behind the trend, spending up at large in the brand’s new Hong Kong shops and on the mainland.

    “Chinese demand has been very strong in the third quarter, totally in line with the first half,” Moncler COO Luciano Santel said during an analyst conference call after the figures were released.

    Trading during the Golden Week holiday in early October was better than last year, signalling the growth trend will continue, said Moncler CEO Remo Ruffini: “The fourth quarter has just started, but we continued to see very positive signs in all our markets,” he said.

    Global sales topped €872.7 million euros for the nine months.

  • Kataoka’s First U.S. Store Opened

    Kataoka’s First U.S. Store Opened

    Japanese jeweller Kataoka has opened its first store in the US. In stark contrast with the firm’s 700sqft shop in Tokyo, the new 1600sqft New York flagship has been located in the trendy Tribeca neighbourhood to reflect Kataoka’s brand identity with its historic look.

    The store has been distinctively designed with a blend of Japanese and Manhattan sensibilities to convey an exotic industrial context for the brand’s delicate jewellery designs, displayed in vintage Japanese casings.

    Company COO Anis Boudraa said the company founder and designer Yoshinobu Kataoka “only wanted display cases that are antique that have a beautiful patina… they really reflect the theory of Kataoka – working with something that’s old”.

    “Our designer hates fast fashion and everything that’s related to fast consumerism.”

    The firm makes its pieces using only recycled gold, which it salvages from the Japanese semiconductor industry. All pieces are hand made.

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  • The Face Shop loses trademark battle with Louis Vuitton

    The Face Shop loses trademark battle with Louis Vuitton

    Korean cosmetics firm The Face Shop has lost a trademark infringement case filed against it by French luxury brand Louis Vuitton. The infringement case relates to Face Shop’s collaboration with American brand My Other Bag, known for its parodies of luxury products. LV has unsuccessfully pursued My Other Bag for damages in American courts.

    Seoul’s Central District Court has ruled The Face Shop to cease trading in products featuring Louis Vuitton designs and pay KRW50 million (US$44,080) in fines.

    The Face Shop failed in its defense that their products were a parody due to the low market profile of My Other Bag in Korea and the difference in how The Face Shop used LV designs compared with My Other Bag’s parody products.

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  • LimeLife acquisition helped boost L’Occitane sales

    LimeLife acquisition helped boost L’Occitane sales

    Hong Kong-listed, Luxembourg-headquartered beauty products retailer L’Occitane has reported healthy sales growth on the back of a key acquisition. Same-store L’Occitane sales in Hong Kong rose 18.6 per cent on a currency-neutral basis in the six months to September 30, and by 14.1 per cent in Mainland China.

    Chairman Reinold Geiger said the Hong Kong growth was primarily driven by “dynamic” travel retail sales.

    But that was far less dramatic than the 65.8 per cent boom in the US, driven by the LimeLife by Alcone business which became part of L’Occitane in January, and the continued recovery of the core L’Occitane en Provence brand.

    Global group sales rose 8.6 per cent at reported rates and 12.4 per cent at constant exchange rates. After excluding the LimeLife business, like-for-like sales growth rose 4.9 per cent, which was higher than the 3.6 per cent of the first quarter.

    Global L’Occitane sales reached €595.4 million for the six months. It finished the period with 1555 of its own stores.