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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.

  • Halo Food Co acquires The Healthy Mummy for $17 million

    Halo Food Co acquires The Healthy Mummy for $17 million

    Global online health and fitness platform, The Healthy Mummy has been acquired for $17 million by Halo Food Co.

    The brand offers mums a range of health and wellness programs that include exercises, supplements information, recipes, and merchandise. It was founded by Rhian Allen in 2010 and operates in the UK, the US and Australia.

    The business boasts more than 86,000 digital subscribers hence the acquisition will add sizeable cross-brand sales to Halo Food Co’s profit mix.

    Halo Food Co is a product development company in Australia and New Zealand. The ASX-listed company’s manufacturing capabilities will aid The Healthy Mummy product profile to expand and develop in order to scale the business further.

    “To say we are a customer-centric business is an understatement and I have and will always strive to make every customer and mum happy with what we offer and do as a business,” said Rhian Allen, founder of The Healthy Mummy.

    “Partnering with Halo Food Co was something I feel very happy about as I firmly believe that the Halo team will help to further my own vision and belief of ‘customer first’ and will allow us to serve you better with incredible product innovation and an even wider range of products,” she added.

    “The business is a natural fit to the existing Halo business, increasing the lifetime value of customers to the group and adding high margin digital distribution channels and cross-sell capability that would otherwise take years to establish organically,” Halo CEO, Danny Rotman said.

    Since last year, the e-commerce company has started selling its products at physical retail stores including Priceline Pharmacies.

  • Adidas expects to grow China sales this year

    Adidas expects to grow China sales this year

    German sportswear company Adidas said on Thursday it would grow in its key market of China in 2022 even after it was hit by renewed pandemic restrictions and the aftermath of a consumer boycott of Western brands.

    The comments come after Manager Magazin reported Adidas expects sales in China to be down 400 million euros ($455 million) in 2022, without citing its sources.

    Asked about the article, an Adidas spokesperson said: “Our business in China grew in 2021 and our business in China will grow in 2022 as well.”

    Adidas’s third-quarter sales fell 15% in Greater China, although they were up 15% in the first nine months of the year. The company reports full-year 2021 results on March 9.

    Western brands have come under fire in China for saying they would not source cotton from Xinjiang after reports of human rights abuses against Uyghur Muslims in the region. Beijing denies any abuses.

    Adidas said last year it had launched an action plan to try to revive its fortunes in China, long its most important growth market. It has set up a dedicated studio for marketing and is increasing its creation of products just for the Chinese market.

    Manager Magazin said the situation was seen as so critical that Adidas sales chief Roland Auschel had traveled to China in January despite quarantine requirements.

    Rival Nike said in December supply issues and fresh COVID-19 lockdowns led to a 20% fall in revenue in Greater China in its fiscal second quarter.

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  • Kering bullish on Chinese domestic luxury consumption

    Kering bullish on Chinese domestic luxury consumption

    French luxury goods Kering sounded a positive note on its forecasts for its performance this year in China, even if the country’s consumers are not expected to resume traveling abroad for at least a year.

    Group managing director Jean-Francois Palus told analysts on Thursday the company had deepened its presence in mainland China during the pandemic, notably through e-commerce on Alibaba’s Tmall platform as well as its own websites in the country.

    He also cited internal tourist flows to the duty-free shopping hub of Hainan as well as other parts of the country as fuelling luxury sales growth.

    The executive said he was optimistic about the health of Chinese consumption, noting a lot of new consumers beginning to buy luxury products, with “a good propensity to buy and to buy more.”

  • Uniqlo plans five more stores in Singapore

    Uniqlo plans five more stores in Singapore

    Apparel retailer Uniqlo says it will open another five stores in Singapore, taking its network there to 31 stores.

    The first neighbourhood store will open at Ang Mo Kio and Clementi in the first quarter of this year. Uniqlo says the 1297sqm store will be a testbed for inclusive in-store features such as a wheelchair-friendly fitting room, community partnership projects, and sustainability initiatives.

    The locations of the other four new stores have yet to be confirmed.

    Yuki Yamada, CEO at Uniqlo Singapore and Malaysia, said: “To complement our existing network of mall-based outlets, the new store at Ang Mo Kia 51 will bring LifeWear essentials closer home to the heartlanders to enjoy shopping convenience.

    “As a global retailer, we are in a unique position to use our business to benefit the community around us by offering greater inclusivity and contributing meaningfully to a more sustainable society,” she added.

    The brand works with special education schools and social service organisations to provide an assisted shopping experience to customers with special needs in their preferred time slots which must be booked in advance.

    The company has also launched Uniqlo Repair Studio in store, the first permanent offering in Asia to extend the life of Uniqlo’s clothing. Trained staff at the site will repair and alter damaged clothing.

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  • Louis Vuitton set to raise prices this week as costs climb

    Louis Vuitton set to raise prices this week as costs climb

    Louis Vuitton, LVMH’s top fashion brand, will raise prices globally on Wednesday as a result of increased manufacturing and transportation costs, a spokesperson for the French luxury goods company in China told Reuters.

    Louis Vuitton, the world’s biggest luxury brand, will become one of the first big labels in the industry to hike prices widely this year to protect its margins as costs soar.

    The price increases will affect Louis Vuitton stores worldwide and cover leather goods, fashion accessories and perfumes, the spokesperson said on Tuesday. She did not give further details on the scale of the rises, beyond saying that they would vary depending on the product.

    “The price adjustment takes into account changes in production costs, raw materials, transportation as well as inflation,” the label said in a statement given to Reuters.

    Some bloggers on Chinese social media said the price of some models of handbags such as Capucines and Neverfull, now priced at 46,500 yuan (US$7,323) and 12,000 yuan ($1,890) respectively, would rise by 20 per cent or more in China, without citing sources.

    PurseBop, a website tracking the luxury market, cited speculation that the increase would be between around 4% on the lower end and 15-18% on average on the higher end.

    Presenting record 2021 sales and profits for the fashion and leather goods division, which is led by Vuitton and Dior, LVMH’s billionaire boss Bernard Arnault said in January the group had enough wiggle room to increase prices in an inflationary environment but would have to be “reasonable.”

    Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, luxury goods companies have been taking advantage of surging demand for high-end fashion and accessories to push their brands even more upmarket.

    Chanel increased prices on some of its handbags three times last year, with the popular Classic Flap bag, currently selling at $8,200, now costing $3,000 or nearly 60 per cent more than before the pandemic in 2019.

  • E-commerce saved fashion designer Tadashi Shoji during pandemic

    E-commerce saved fashion designer Tadashi Shoji during pandemic

    After closing all his stores, veteran fashion designer Tadashi Shoji said he has been able to keep his business afloat during the Covid-19 pandemic thanks to the success of e-commerce and custom sales.

    The Los Angeles, California-based brand released its digital runway show online on Saturday during New York Fashion Week.

    Keeping costs low, the video was filmed in the company’s cafeteria with creative lighting and editing.

    “Logistically it’s very hard, but it’s very fortunate for us because of Covid our e-com is increasing tremendously. That’s helping me to survive in this Covid time,” Shoji said.

    “If we didn’t have this strong e-com infrastructure for us I think, I think our business went down,” he said.

    Shoji said this season was inspired by “boundless expression” and has added different silhouettes to his normal body-con repertoire.

    Menswear was the inspiration for many looks with stretch velvet, shimmer and slits providing femininity.

    The designer’s signature draped tulle, lace and hand beading made the collection look familiar to his long-time fans.

    New York Fashion Week will end on Feb 16 with over 150 designers having presented their collections live or online.

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  • Havaianas parent’s sales surge as international strategy pays off

    Havaianas parent’s sales surge as international strategy pays off

    Alpargatas, the parent of Havaianas, is reaping the benefits of a three-year-old international expansion strategy, despite the impact of Covid on cross-border travel.

    In the year to December, Alpargatas recorded sales of  US$739 million, a 25.7-per-cent improvement in 2020. Outside its home market of Brazil, net revenue climbed 41.5 percent US$227 million.

    “The numbers are the result of a long-term strategy. Three years ago, we established that Alpargatas’ long-term value creation thesis would be based on leveraging the strength of desired and hyper-connected brands such as Havaianas,” said CEO Beto Funari.

    “In this short period, we have proved this thesis as we accelerate the brand’s growth and restructure the business portfolio.”

    The company sold a record 260 million pairs of flip-flops, up 13 percent year on year. Of those, 31 million pairs were sold outside Brazil, an improvement of 38.8 percent versus 2020.

    Funari also said the company’s growing portfolio of non-flip flop products – sandals, flats, sneakers, accessories, and apparel – increased by more than 200 percent during the period.

    In December, Alpargatas secured a deal to acquire a 49.9 percent stake in Californian sustainable footwear brand Rothy’s. Now it is planning a share issue to help fund the acquisition, expected to raise around $400 million.

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  • Boohoo launches vegan makeup and beauty range

    Boohoo launches vegan makeup and beauty range

    The range called Boohoo Beauty, features items for brows, lips, eyes, and face, and is available in various shades to suit multiple complexions and skin tones. It comprises lip gloss, lip liner, blusher, bronzer lipstick, and a contour stick.

    Customers can also buy tools and accessories including a brush cleaner, light-up mirror, fast-drying wrap for hair, and a false lash applicator.

    Available to purchase on boohoo.com, prices range from £5 for a lip gloss to £38 for a make-up palette.

    Lou Maddison, lead hair and make-up artist at Boohoo, said: “As well as the range being 100% cruelty-free and made with a vegan formula, all packaging used within this collection is recyclable. Products are boosted with ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, aloe, coconut oil, and botanical extracts.

    “The products are lightweight, water-resistant, and transfer-proof, perfect for everyday use and taking a look from day to night.”

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  • Breitling unveils Seoul flagship with a cafe and its first restaurant

    Breitling unveils Seoul flagship with a cafe and its first restaurant

    Breitling opened its largest flagship, the 8,000-square-foot Breitling Townhouse Hannam. Located in the fashionable Hannam district of Seoul, South Korea, known for its international embassies and luxury fashion flagships, the space combines retail with a Breitling Café, terrace, and the first-ever restaurant, Breitling Kitchen. The Breitling Townhouse’s combination of retail with food and beverage will make it a top destination in this vibrant area.

    All Breitling boutiques are designed as chic industrial lofts that combine vintage decor with streamlined contemporary design for a modern-retro feel. A second recurring motif is “air, sea, and land” – the three universes that the Breitling watch families were developed for. In the Breitling Townhouse Hannam, these design themes are very prominent.

    The flagship boutique is a 2,000-square-foot retail space that has Breitling’s latest watch collections on display in an aviation-lounge-inspired atmosphere. The brand’s newest flagship is also home to Breitling Equipment – a shop-in-shop that carries tools and accessories inspired by Breitling’s universes.

    Breitling Kitchen is the brand’s first-ever restaurant led by chef Kim Hyeong-Kyu. Guests can choose from seating zones themed by air, sea, and land or reserve a private dining room in the Breitling universe of their choice. Breitling Café is an inviting street-level coffee shop that serves a well-crafted selection of specialty coffees, freshly baked goods, and fine patisseries.

    Customers and visitors can also enjoy an outdoor seating area that serves as both an extension to the café and private event space. Vintage Corridor is a walk-through heritage experience that tells the Breitling story with interactive displays.

    This opening gives a clue at what to expect from Breitling as a leader in the neo-luxury space.

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  • Nike cries foul over virtual shoes, suing retailer that sells sneaker NFTs

    Nike cries foul over virtual shoes, suing retailer that sells sneaker NFTs

    Sneaker giant Nike sued online reseller StockX in New York federal court on Thursday for selling unauthorized images of Nike shoes, marking the latest lawsuit over digital assets known as non-fungible tokens.

    Nike said StockX’s NFTs infringe its trademarks and are likely to confuse consumers. Its lawsuit asked for unspecified money damages and an order blocking their sales.

    Detroit-based StockX, a platform for reselling sneakers, handbags, and other goods, was valued at more than $3.8 billion last year.

    A representative for the company did not respond to a request for comment, nor did Nike or its attorneys.

    Nike said StockX last month began selling unauthorized NFTs of its sneakers, telling buyers they would be able to redeem the tokens for physical versions of the shoes “in the near future.”

    The complaint said StockX has sold over 500 Nike-branded NFTs.

    The lawsuit said complaints about the NFTs’ “inflated prices and murky terms of purchase and ownership” and buyers’ doubts about the legitimacy of StockX’s model have hurt Nike’s business reputation.

    Nike said it will release “a number of virtual products” later this month in conjunction with the digital art studio RTFKT, which it acquired in December.

    NFTs have recently exploded in popularity, and lawsuits over them have begun to hit U.S. courts. Miramax sued director Quentin Tarantino in November over his plans to auction NFTs related to the 1994 film “Pulp Fiction,” which he directed and the studio distributed.

    Last month, Hermes sued artist Mason Rothschild over his “MetaBirkin” NFTs of the French company’s Birkin bags.

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  • Vans owner slips as production delays, China curbs hit sales forecast

    Vans owner slips as production delays, China curbs hit sales forecast

    Vans shoe maker VF Corp cut its full-year revenue forecast on Friday as it struggles with material shortages, labor issues at factories, and a slump in sales in China due to COVID-related lockdowns, sending its shares down over 6 percent.

    Fresh pandemic restrictions and store closures late last year in many Asian countries, including China, took a toll on many US apparel makers that for years have relied on these countries for the bulk of their production and sales growth.

    VF Corp said the fast-spreading Omicron variant of the coronavirus was also impacting its sales across the world.

    “The latest virus surge across Europe has contributed to declining consumer confidence, deteriorating traffic, and stretched retail staff in our stores,” VF Chief Financial Officer Matt Puckett said on an earnings call.

    Despite facing labor and raw material shortages, VF said it expected manufacturing to return to near full capacity in the coming weeks.

    The company cut its fiscal 2022 revenue forecast to about US$11.85 billion from US$12 billion. It expects revenue for its “Active” unit, which houses the Vans and Supreme brands, to increase between 31 percent and 33 percent, compared with a prior range of 35 percent to 37 percent gain.

    The Denver, Colorado-based company’s total revenue rose 22 percent to $3.62 billion in the third quarter ended Jan 1, slightly ahead of analysts’ average estimate of US$3.60 billion, according to IBES data from Refinitiv.

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  • Victoria’s Secret sells stake in China business to new JV partner

    Victoria’s Secret sells stake in China business to new JV partner

    In a statement, Victoria’s Secret CEO Martin Waters called Regina Miracle “a valued merchandise supplier partner for more than twenty years.”

    The brand is maintaining control of its business in China, but has turned to a local, known player to run it, and that makes sense, according to Jane Hali, chief executive at Jane Hali & Associates.

    “This seems to be a wise solution to distribution in China,” she said by email. “Companies are successful when they are consumer-centric and know their customers wants and needs. Victoria’s Secret was in China but it was unsuccessful under their management.”

    The brand’s results in China have nevertheless represented a bright spot in its global performance, according to UBS analysts led by Jay Sole. Victoria’s Secret’s international growth has been disappointing for the last five to seven years, possibly due to an over-emphasis on its Victoria’s Secret Beauty and Accessories stores in some places and because “the intimate apparel category is proving to be more nuanced than previously thought, in terms of what styles, sizes, price points, and brand messaging consumers want in each market,” according to the UBS research note. The analysts pointed to several ways that Victoria’s Secret has sought to gain traction abroad, including via joint ventures like the one announced Tuesday, along with franchising, wholesale and company-operated stores.

    Waters said the establishment of this joint venture finishes up a multi-year repositioning of the brand’s international operations. “We expect the partnership will positively impact the speed and agility of the business to benefit consumers and provide us with a platform for a strong future in this important market,” he said.

    UBS analysts do see room for growth in China. They crunched WeChat data and found the brand to be “on a solid path,” even improving among Chinese consumers while other U.S. brands weathered backlash there. Furthermore, Victoria’s Secret’s social media initiatives seem to be resonating with Chinese consumers, and the brand could probably add to the 63 stores it was running there as of October, UBS also said this week.

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  • FLC launches jewelry brand

    FLC launches jewelry brand

    Conglomerate FLC on Wednesday entered the jewelry industry with the new brand FJC, establishing its first store in Hanoi.

    Located at Bamboo Airways Tower in Cau Giay District, FJC’s first store sells 24-karat gold, jewelry, diamond and fengshui accessories.

    The jewelry business will help FLC complete its ecosystem, which already includes real estate, aviation and tourism, said FLC Deputy Chairwoman Dang Luu Van, who is also the chairwoman of FJC.

    More FJC stores will be set up at FLC resorts and urban areas across the country, she added.

    The main competitors of FJC will be long-established jewelry brands like Saigon Jewelry Company (SJC), Phu Nhuan Jewelry (PNJ) and DOJI.

    FLC targets a revenue of VND27 trillion and profit of VND2.1 trillion this year, double from last year.

  • Uniqlo set to come to Hai Phong

    Uniqlo set to come to Hai Phong

    Japanese fashion brand Uniqlo plans to open its first store in the northern city of Hai Phong this summer.

    It will be a 2,000-square-meter outlet at Aeon Mall Le Chan.

    Uniqlo, which came to the Vietnamese market two years ago, now has 10 stores in Hanoi and HCMC.

    Globally, it has over 2,300 in 25 countries and territories.

    German research firm Statista estimates Vietnam’s fashion industry to grow at an average annual rate of 22.5 percent in 2017-22 to reach US$988 million.

  • First Adidas Brand Centre launches in Singapore, brand’s largest there yet

    First Adidas Brand Centre launches in Singapore, brand’s largest there yet

    Sportswear brand Adidas launched its first Singapore brand center, named Homeground, in Knightsbridge along Orchard Road. Occupying three floors, it claims to be the largest mono-brand retail sports destination in the country. It offers the largest array of Adidas performance and Originals apparel, footwear, as well as accessories in Singapore.

    Adidas claims that the design of the brand center is “deeply rooted in Singapore identity” and “celebrates its diversity as a multicultural country”. Created in partnership with numerous local designers, the design takes inspiration from iconic everyday Singapore scenes. For example, a wall-mounted mural that takes the form of an Adidas shoe is actually a collage of locally-inspired elements weaved together in a wall-mounted mural.

    In addition, the brand center’s sustainability wall is inspired by the coastline of the Singapore River and is made with layers of crafted reclaimed wood.

    The “Local Delights” section features vibrant artwork that is inspired by traditional cakes and snacks such as Tutu Kueh, Ang Ku Kueh, Kueh Bahulu, Muruku, and the colorful Kueh Lapis cake.

    There’s also an anamorphic ceiling installation in the MakerLab, where 180 pieces of stainless-steel trefoils come together to form an intricate ceiling artwork that is both a trefoil and the coastline of Singapore at the same time.

    Besides enjoying first-in-region launches and Singapore exclusives at the Homeground store, shoppers can look forward to the Singapore Key City Tee, a local-themed graphic print t-shirt.

    In line with the brand center’s launch, Adidas will be rolling out the “Bring it to Me” service over the next few months, which will be exclusive to the brand centre.

    Shoppers can have the products delivered to them as they continue browsing the other items at the store by scanning the footwear via the Adidas app or QR code to indicate their preferred sizes.

    For more information, you can check out the Adidas Homeground website, Adidas Singapore’s Instagram, and Facebook pages.

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