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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.

  • Kathmandu’s two for two director swap

    Kathmandu’s two for two director swap

    Christine Cross and John Holland will retire from the board of outdoor apparel retailer Kathmandu, with the Kiwi-based retailer announcing replacement directors following an extensive international search.

    Holland has been a director of Kathmandu since the company’s Initial Public Offering in 2009 while Christine Cross has served as a director since 2012.

    The two new directors joining the board are Philip Bowman and Brent Scrimshaw.

    Bowman is an Australian who has worked for many years in the UK and USA and is relocating to New Zealand towards the end of this year. He has experience in retail and other sectors including roles as CFO of Bass, CEO of Bass Taverns, executive chairman of Liberty PLC, CEO of Allied Domecq, chairman of Coral Eurobet, CEO of Scottish Power and CEO of Smiths Group. He has also held office as an independent director of BSkyB, Scottish & Newcastle and Berry Bros. & Rudd. He currently sits on the boards of luxury goods business Burberry Group, Spanish infrastructure group Ferrovial SA, and is chairman of Dubai based Majid al Futtaim Properties and housebuilder The Miller Homes Group (UK).

    Scrimshaw, also Australian, had an 18-year career with Nike Inc across marketing, commerce and general management. He led marketing across Nike Pacific, was the regional GM for Nike Nth America, was the chief marketing officer for Nike EMEA, and also served as vice president and chief executive of Nike Western Europe. He retired from Nike in 2012 and is currently the CEO and Co-Founder of Unscriptd.com and is a non-executive director of ASX listed Rhinomed (RNO) and Catapult International Limited (CAT).

    David Kirk, chairman of Kathmandu, said both directiors “bring absolutely first class understanding of retail, brand development and international markets” and are a “great fit for the next stage of Kathmandu’s journey.”

  • SRG to discontinue Amart Sports

    SRG to discontinue Amart Sports

    Super Retail Group has decided to discontinue the Amart Sports and convert its 65 stores into Rebel Sport as part of a consolidation strategy designed to defend against the entry of Amazon, Decathlon and JD Sports.

    The plan, which is due to be completed by the end of October, will incur a non-cash transformation cost of $34 million in FY17 accounts, as well $9 million in capital investment for store fit outs and a further $3 million in cash costs to be incurred in FY18.

    In return, the merger is expected to generate an annualised $15 million in margin uplift and synergy benefits after two years, positioning the group to invest more heavily in Rebel’s offering, which will now trade across almost 160 stores nationwide.

    The group said in a presentation to investors that increasing customer expectations and an influx in international competitors would make it increasingly difficult to achieve a market leading position with both Rebel and Amart Sports, signalling that a merger would allow Rebel to both expand its range and invest in price to remain competitive.

    “Focusing on the Rebel brand will enable us to offer customers an expanded range of solutions and services at more locations, concentrate our investment building world-class omni retail capabilities, and further streamline the end-to-end supply chain required to deliver the seamless omni experience that customers expect,” Super Retail Group CEO Peter Birtles said.

    In recent months, the sports retailing landscape has seen increasing competition, with the likes of French retailer Decathlon and the UK’s JD Sports ramping up their Aussie footprint.

    SRG last month unveiled its omnichannel vision for the automotive brand Supercheap Auto and has now bedded down a strategy for its sporting division after conducting a review into the brands.

    It comes amid the construction of French discount sporting giant Decathlon’s first big-box location in Sydney’s inner west, which is due to open in October and will be the first of a 100 store vision for the company Down Under.

    SRG indicated that Amart Sports’ value proposition, which is also based on low-cost high-volume trade in big-box stores, will be incorporated into the Rebel brand.

    British brand JD Sports, which competes more directly with Rebel’s current brand-based offer, now also has three stores in Australia, after complementing its Melbourne flagship with locations on the Gold Coast and in western Sydney.

    The company said that the presence of new competitors on both sides of the sporting goods market would ultimately undermine the position of Amart Sports, as Rebel will be required to “adopt a stronger value message” to remain competitive, reducing the “differential in the overall customer proposition” between the companies.

    “Our research has confirmed there is a high degree of overlap between Rebel and Amart Sports customers, with the choice between brands typically only a question of which store has the most convenient location.

    “There is also significant product range overlap between the brands, so this decision will also drive synergies from a customer service perspective,” SRG said in a statement.

    The transformation will incorporate four distinct store formats for Rebel that align to metro, suburban and regional customer demographics to localise and adjust its offer for Amart’s large format stores.

    SRG remains confident that the diverse formats and assortments can be managed through adequate merchandising systems, with a plan in place to enhance ranging processes over the next three years.

    Amart Sports’ team members will be transferred to newly converted Rebel stores as the transition is implemented.

    SRG also said that it expects to come in at the upper end of its previous EBIT guidance of 16 to 18 per cent above the prior corresponding period.

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  • Sephora Studio store concept unveiled in Boston

    Sephora Studio store concept unveiled in Boston

    Global beauty retailer Sephora has unveiled its first new concept mini-store format, in Boston. The Sephora Studio is contained within just 2000 sqft (190 sqm) and – in the company’s words – has an “emphasis on artistry and skincare services”.

    The store opened on Boston’s high-end shopping strip, Newbury Street, on Friday.

    “The Sephora Studio presents clients with an optimised store design and intimate format that fosters personalised connections between our clients and the store’s top-ranking beauty advisors,” said Calvin McDonald, president and CEO of Sephora Americas.

    “In today’s retail environment where very little is constant and clients’ expectations are ever-evolving, one thing has remained true for Sephora: there is no better way to create meaningful connections with clients than through personalised experiences and a customised approach to beauty. We could not be more focused on that notion than we are with the opening of Sephora Studio.

    “The Studio merges the best of an inclusive neighbourhood retail environment with best-in-class digital tools that enable our expert beauty advisors to customise recommendations on an individual basis,” said McDonald.

    Online to Offline strategy

    Sephora Studio integrates a variety of digital tools to optimise client experiences before, during and after their store visit. Among them are digital welcome and service menu screens for easy navigation and self-help, and beauty advisors with mobilised devices that can quickly service clients with appointment check in, looking up their Beauty Insider loyalty program status, and retrieving Sephora.com ratings and reviews on any product throughout the store.

    Additionally, Sephora Studio features two omnichannel product delivery options: order in store and same day pick-up. Both delivery features offer ease and convenience for purchase of product not available at the store. With order in store, Sephora staff can place the client’s order through Sephora.com with complimentary standard shipping or reduced next day shipping. For those who may need products faster, Sephora Studio will partner with another Boston store, Sephora Prudential Center, one of the first Sephora US stores to offer same day pick up.

    From October, Boston area clients can purchase on their device via the Sephora app and pick it up at Sephora Prudential Center the same day.

    Teach, inspire and play

    Meanwhile, Sephora’s innovative retail concept designed to Teach, Inspire, Play will extend to Sephora Studio by encouraging clients to freely test products from a curated selection of brands across prestige cosmetics, skincare, hair care and fragrance.

    “Sephora Studio is a destination for iconic, cult and emerging prestige beauty brands, including makeup, skincare, haircare and fragrance such as Benefit, Bite Beauty, Bobbie Brown, Bumble and bumble, Caudalie, Drunk Elephant, Drybar, Fresh, Kat Von D Beauty, Milk Makeup, Ole Henriksen, Ouai, Sunday Riley, NARS and Verb. The studio will offer clients a safe place to learn, play and master new looks with ongoing inspirational group learning-style Sephora Beauty Classes,” the company said.

    Clients can drop by to check makeover availability or book a premium service at one of the eight beauty studio seats in advance using Sephora’s client reservation system available online, through its app and via Facebook Messenger.

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  • Bossini profit warning issued

    Bossini profit warning issued

    A “significant” drop in Bossini profit attributable to its owners is expected for the year to the end of June.

    Its board says the group expects only a small profit close to breakeven, compared to the profit attributable to the owners of HK$292 million (US$37 million) for the previous year.

    It says reasons for the decrease include a non-recurring gain of about $265 million on the disposal of property in the previous year, and a drop of about 13 per cent in revenue from the $2 billion of the previous year, attributable to continuously weak consumer sentiment and “severe competition” in core markets.

    This information is based on a preliminary assessment only, says Bossini, with its audited annual results to be announced in late September.

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  • Uniqlo releasing JW Anderson collaborative range

    Uniqlo releasing JW Anderson collaborative range

    A JW Anderson collaborative range will roll out at Uniqlo stores and at Uniqlo.com in September. Featuring British classic designs, the fall/winter range comprises 33 pieces for men and women featuring the signature London fashion brand’s graphic design aesthetic.

    “The point of this collaboration is that I believe in democracy in fashion, and what I hope will be achieved is that any age demographic can pick up and find something within the collection to relate to,” says JW Anderson founder Jonathan Anderson. “Doing something with Uniqlo is very interesting. It means you come up with a wardrobe that is universal and quirky.

    “The idea of reducing something to its essence is a very Japanese cultural thing. It can be culturally, textile or silhouette driven, but it’s about the idea of reducing something down so you can create the most impact.”

    “This line embodies our shared vision of offering elegance, simplicity, timeless comfort and individuality through LifeWear,” says Fast Retailing senior VP Yuki Katsuta, who is head of research and design at Uniqlo.

    “The inspiration for much of the clothing we wear today was the uniforms, workwear and sportswear that originated in the British Isles. We have combined the energy, creativity and traditional touches of JW Anderson with our fit, fabrics and functionality as part of our quest to craft wardrobe essentials that are enduringly appealing.”

    Design is a key focus for the collection, notably through such classics as a double-breasted belted trench coat, a wool-blend quilted jacket, a Fair Isle sweater and a striped scarf. The trench coat is accented by a tartan lining, and tartan is also used for a selection of down jackets, shirts and padded tote bags.

    Also in the line are multi-border cut-and-sewn pieces, knits, stoles in vivid hues, ruffle blouses and skirts. There are tweed coats in signature herringbone and shirts in extra-fine cotton, as well as knits in extra-fine Merino wool.

    Northern Irish designer Anderson established his company in 2008, attracting attention with his debut collection in that year’s London Fashion Week.

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  • Givenchy Wins on Gogoboi’s New E-Commerce Channel

    Givenchy Wins on Gogoboi’s New E-Commerce Channel

    It was only in April that top Chinese KOL Gogoboi launched his own WeChat boutique “Bu Da Jing Xuan,” a platform on which he curates selections of goods from luxury e-commerce retailers like Yoox, Net-A-Porter and Farfetch to sell to his fans (he’s got over 7 million followers on Weibo).

    But Gogoboi has already gotten his first luxury brand on his platform, Givenchy.On July 14, Givenchy launched its new Duetto handbag collection on this platform and became the first luxury brand to test out this influencer’s own e-commerce channel.

    The official price of the new collection is 7490 yuan, which is consistent with the offline price. This exclusive online sale includes seven styles (in addition to black and white, the bag also came in a variety of colors), and for each style, there were six bags available for purchase.

    The result was a success. The featured black-and-white style was sold out after half an hour after the campaign went live, and within 72 hours, all of the available styles were sold out.

    With a background in fashion editorial, Gogoboi’s distinct writing style is what first garnered him a loyal fan base. His witty humor and harsh comments on celebrity styles make his blog stand out in the competitive KOL landscape.

    Mr. Bags recently wore in a handbag collaboration with Tod’s and “Miss Shopping Li” stepped out of fashion to embark on her first collaboration with the car brand MINI and is in the midst of launching her own brand.

    It’s never a one-way street, while bloggers are busy broadening their horizons, brands are also looking for better ways to take advantage of their massive fan economy.

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  • Luxury goods group Hermes sales growth slows in Q2

    Luxury goods group Hermes sales growth slows in Q2

    French luxury goods group Hermes said on Friday (July 22) it expected first-half 2017 operating profitability to be close to the peak level of 33.9 per cent of sales achieved in the first half of 2016, thanks to foreign exchange gains.

    Hermes, known for its US$10,000 (S$13,679) Birkin bags and US$400 printed silk scarves, made the forecast after sales growth slowed in the second quarter, broadly in line with expectations, and reflecting mostly challenging year-ago comparables.

    Chief executive Axel Dumas told a conference call that sales momentum remained “quite good” with sustained demand for Hermes’ Birkin, Kelly, Constance and Lindy bags, robust demand for shoes, while the silk business continued to rebound.

    In China, Hermes sales were still growing in double digits in the quarter, while Europe benefited from a rebound in tourist flows, which was particularly strong in Italy and in London thanks to a weaker pound, he said.

    France was broadly flat, while growth in America also slowed due to high year-ago comparisons

    Hermes reported an 8.3 per cent rise in revenue at constant exchange rates to 1.361 billion euros (S$2.16 billion), compared with 11.2 per cent growth in the first quarter. Analysts had forecast about 9 per cent growth on average.

    Sales growth at its leather goods division, which makes up 50 per cent of group sales, slowed to 9.7 per cent from the 15 per cent rise achieved in the first quarter.

    The luxury industry has suffered in the past couple of years as demand in China slowed and attacks in France deterred some tourists from travelling to Europe.

    A recovery in tourism in Europe and stronger Chinese consumption are expected to lead a rebound in the luxury sector this year, the Bain consultancy predicted in May.

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  • LVMH’s Louis Vuitton launches e-commerce website in China

    LVMH’s Louis Vuitton launches e-commerce website in China

    French fashion brand Louis Vuitton, part of luxury giant LVMH , said on July 21st it had launched an e-commerce website in China to tap a booming online shopping market.

    Louis Vuitton, which opened its first store in Beijing in 1992, said the website offered leather goods, small leather goods, shoes, accessories, watch and jewellery, luggage, and the newly launched Les Parfums Louis Vuitton.

    Payments can be made via UnionPay, Alipay and WeChat, the statement said.

    The website will be available in 12 cities – Beijing, Shanghai, ChongQing, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Shenyang, Dalian, Haerbin, Wuhan. More cities will be added later on.

    It is the 11th e-commerce market for Vuitton since it launched its first site in France in 2005.

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  • Abercrombie launches on Alibaba’s Tmall

    Abercrombie launches on Alibaba’s Tmall

    Abercrombie & Fitch has announced it is launching both its Abercrombie & Fitch and Abercrombie Kids brands on Alibaba Group’s Tmall this month. Abercrombie & Fitch Tmall is China’s largest platform for brands and consumers.

    Through Tmall, Alibaba reports reaching 454 million annual buyers. The core consumer is under 35 and shops primarily on their mobile devices. Abercrombie’s target customer is in their 20s and shops digitally.

    Pairing up with Tmall is a data driven move that should result in much needed financial success for Abercrombie as it continues to rebrand.

    Moving onto Tmall reveals insight into Abercrombie’s plans for chasing the Chinese consumer. Abercrombie recently opened a new retail concept flagship in Hong Kong’s Harbour City. Additionally, Abercrombie operates 10 retail stores across China.

    Abercrombie’s rebranding began with a revitalization of its retail concept. The brand describes its new retail concept as intimate and service oriented. To that end, Tmall offers the capabilities to make online shopping more individualized through marketing tools.

    Tmall offers live streaming options and big data options designed to personalize and streamline the shopping experience.

    “Alibaba Group places a strong emphasis on consumer engagement, which aligns with our focus on creating a unique online brand experience for our customers, as well as facilitating a seamless and frictionless shopping experience” said Fran Horowitz, Chief Executive Officer of Abercrombie & Fitch Co.

    Tmall has sold the Hollister brand since 2014. This month is the first time Abercrombie has put its namesake brands on the platform.

    Jessica Liu, President of Tmall Fashion, Alibaba Group said consumers both online and in China have “sought [the brand] out for some time.”

    Abercrombie will begin selling a full assortment of men’s, women’s and kid’s product on Tmall starting July 26.

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  • A Popular Malaysian Based Boutique For Muslim Woman is Expanding International

    A Popular Malaysian Based Boutique For Muslim Woman is Expanding International

    Lanafira has announced that it is offering a wide range of long dresses for Muslim women around the world. The Malaysian based company has already created a major buzz in the Malaysian and South East Asian market and it is now expanding its brand to the international market. The Muslimah Long Dress collection offered by Malaysia’s finest boutique are becoming the top choice of Muslim ladies and the brand has also introduced an e-Store where women can shop these dresses online with ease.

    “We are proudly introducing a new collection with fresh arrival coming regularly for our Muslim sisters worldwide.” Said the spokesperson of Lanafira while introducing the Long Dress Muslimah range. “The Long Dress Muslimah can be easily ordered online and we are offering these dresses with a variety of designs and colors.” She added. The Muslimah online boutique also receives large orders from an increasing number of international distributors from Europe and North America where such long dress are high in demand, particularly from the Muslim ladies.

    With a slogan of ‘A Style for Every Story’, Lanafira has made a major launch internationally. Most of the Muslim women ordering these dresses range from the age groups of 20 to 40 years old. However, younger and older women are loving these dresses alike. The Muslimah Long Dress for sale at the online store of Lanafira features a wide range of designs that are universally popular and high in demand.

    Another amazing fact about the Muslimah long dress range introduced worldwide by Lanafira’s online store is the competitive price of each dress with high affordability. The traditional Muslim style along with the modern designing makes these long Muslimah dresses a perfect blend of fashion and grace for the women worldwide. Moreover, besides the Muslim women, these dresses are also getting increasingly popular among the non-Muslim women as well due to their elegance and style.

    Some of the Muslimah long dresses for sale at the online store of Lanafira include Mellisa Long Dress in several color with its increasingly popular wide range, Alana Kebaya, Pucci Long Dress, Sofea Modern Perplum and much more. All these designs are offered in several colors and are loved by the women who wear them. The company also offers free delivery across Malaysia and has an overwhelming presence on the social media to interact with the customers.

    In addition, Lanafira also features an informative newsletter on its website to keep its customers updated. The feedback and reviews received by the boutique have been phenomenal and women have simply loved these dresses. The testimonials received by the company reflect the level of trust and satisfaction from its customers and they have declared it the best Muslim dress making boutique available online in Malaysia.

    For more information and to get your Muslimah Long Dresses by Lanafira

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  • Melissa Singapore shoe store world’s largest flagship

    Melissa Singapore shoe store world’s largest flagship

    The newly opened Melissa Singapore shoe store is larger than the hip footwear label’s other flagships in Sao Paulo, London and New York.

    The brand’s dance-inspired range is spread out over 1700 sqft of space dubbed MDreams, in the Raffles City shopping centre.

    The Brazilian label is renowned for its eco-friendly plastic shoe range which includes sandals, flip flops, boots and sneakers. Its footwear is affectionately described as “Jelly shoes”.

    The opening of the Melissa Singapore store MDreams is part of the company’s longer-term strategy to expand brand awareness and sales in Asia.

    “The new Melissa MDreams flagship store gives us the opportunity and platform to evolve our customer experience, ensuring that we continue to deliver authentic and personalised experiences through various enhanced customer loyalty programmes, service standards, and technology application, for a seamless Melissa experience in store,” said Terence Yow, MD of Enviably Me, the local distributor of Melissa.

    The Melissa Singapore store was designed by local interior architecture firm, Laank. Inspired by “dance and movement,” it features curved shelves with a ‘semi-floating’ effect and signature white canvas allows the colourful range to stand out.

    “When we embarked on the project to reimagine how the new Melissa MDreams flagship store would be, the team decided that our customers must be at the heart of everything we do in this project,” added Yow.

    “It is about putting the customer before the design, creating a shopper experience-centric shop design.”

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  • Hugo Boss opens Brisbane flagship boutique on Edward Street

    Hugo Boss opens Brisbane flagship boutique on Edward Street

    International fashion retailer, Hugo Boss, has opened a luxury Brisbane flagship boutique on Edward Street, in MacArthur Central’s luxury fashion precinct.

    The new boutique will feature the edited range of luxury Boss Menswear collections, including ready-to-wear, shoes and accessories as well as athleisure wear and a high performance sportswear offering, in addition to Hugo Boss timepieces and fragrances.

    According to the retailer, the store’s interior showcases a refined concept that has been adopted by select stores in major global cities, catering to the fashion savvy male.

    “Precision Group is proud to welcome Hugo Boss to MacArthur Central where it will sit alongside some of the best International and national retailers fronting Edward St, where Brisbane City Council have invested $11.8M into a beautification project of the precinct,” said Colleen Middlemass, Centre and State Asset manager.

    In the upcoming months, the Edward Street frontage project will see the addition of sub-tropical, mature trees and improved lighting as well as enhanced boulevard pavements. The MacArthur Central’s Queen Street frontage will also receive a major upgrade, with the National Australia Bank opening its flagship Brisbane retail branch and occupying eight floors in the office tower above.

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  • Golden sales for Luk Fook’s first quarter

    Golden sales for Luk Fook’s first quarter

    Same-store sales of gold products have restored growth, jewellery retailer Luk Fook says in announcing the performance of its self-run retail shops for the first quarter, to the end of June.

    It says a relatively low base and “an effective strategy of an enhanced offering of good-value-for-money gold products” helped boost SSSG 5 per cent, a progression over the previous quarter.

    SSSG of 32 per cent in China and 10 per cent in Hong Kong/Macau for gold and gemset jewellery led to 23 per cent growth overall for the period, a significant improvement over the previous quarter.

    On the other hand, the SSSG of gemset jewellery products in the Hong Kong/Macau market rose 9 per cent while gold products stayed flat, a turnaround from a declining trend for more than a year. This resulted in a 3 per cent improvement in the market overall.

    While the group closed two shops in Hong Kong during the quarter, the number of shops in Hong Kong and Macau for the whole year is expected to be about the same. During the period, 14 Luk Fook shops were added on the mainland, five of these licensed outlets.

    As at the end of last month, the group had a total 206 self-run shops – 142 in China, 45 in Hong Kong, 10 in Macau and nine overseas. There were also 1301 licensed shops in China and one in Korea, making a total of 1508 outlets worldwide, of which 1443 were on the mainland.

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  • A Bathing Ape launches online store

    A Bathing Ape launches online store

    Established in Tokyo in 1993, street-fashion brand A Bathing Ape has launched a global online store.

    Also known as Bape, the brand is known for its graphics, patterns and characters such as “Ape Head”, “Bape Camo”, “Bape Sta”, “Shark Hoodie” and “Baby Milo”. The  brand has expanded from being a men’s line to include women’s and children’s items.

    Bape has stores throughout Japan, in the UK and US, Hong Kong, China and other regions in Asia. BapeOnline is initially available for customers in Europe, with plans to expand to a more worldwide presence soon. To celebrate the launch, a special limited-edition t-shirt is being offered.

    A Bathing Ape was created by Nowhere Co, in the Tokyo suburb of Harajuku, and continues to expand with Bape Store, BapeExclusive, Bape Kids and A Bathing Ape Pirate Store.

  • Cortefiel opens first stores in India

    Cortefiel opens first stores in India

    After announcing last December a distribution partnership deal with Tablez Retail to enter India, Cortefiel group has opened its first retail stores. The contract will see 60 store openings in India, as well as nearby Sri Lanka.

    On July 17, mixed apparel retailer Springfield and lingerie chain Women’secret debuted inside the Phoenix MarketCIty shopping centre, located in the city of Bangalore.

    In autumn, the Spanish group, which also owns the brands Corefiel, Pedro del Hierro and Fifty Factory – but not in the India market – will open a further eight stores in Bangalore, as well as in Bombay and Chennai.

    By entering India, the Madrid distributor intends to take advantage of the growing appetite of young adults in the country for international brands, focusing its communication on city fashion, as the urbanisation of the country continues at high speed.

    The goal of the group is to “achieve rapid growth across the two brands, thanks to the growing percentage of young people in the country,” as well as the explosion of commercial property in the nation.

    The group, which according to several sources is in the process of being sold by the three funds that have retained ownership since 2005 (PAI Partners, CVC Capital Partners and Permira), also made its debut in Cuba a few weeks ago, setting up a Women’secret store in Havana.

    Sales at Cortefiel, which boasts more than 2,000 stores across 90 countries, recorded an increase of 3.1%, to 1.13 billion euros for the year ending February 28.

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