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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.

  • Gucci opens Namiki flagship design

    Gucci opens Namiki flagship design

    The first store selling Gucci products in Japan, operated by Sun Motoyama, opened in Ginza in 1964 and the brand’s first boutique was unveiled in Tokyo in 1972. It was Gucci’s first store to open in Asia. Japan remains a stronghold, according to Gucci president and chief executive officer Marco Bizzarri. “We have never stopped believing in the Japanese market and continue to invest in it,” he observed. The most recent signal of this commitment is the opening of the Gucci Namiki unit in Ginza, the brand’s second flagship in Tokyo’s upscale district.

    The store also points to the “fundamental importance” of brick-and-mortar, said Bizzarri, despite the growing relevance of online transactions, which clearly accelerated during the pandemic and the lockdowns. “The narrative to connect with the customers, the moment in which you meet the brand, the one-to-one relations will continue to be very important, increasingly combined with the brand’s different distribution channels, and it’s all happening very quickly. The goal is to offer the best possible experience.”

    The concept conceived by creative director Alessandro Michele for the Namiki store is new and will not be replicated elsewhere, explained Bizzarri. The opening of the store, which covers three floors in a building on Namiki-dori Street — the same where Gucci started its business in Japan in 1964 — will unfold in three parts.

    The first two floors will be unveiled on April 29. Over a total space of more than 7,776 square feet, they will carry a full range of men’s and women’s ready-to-wear, handbags, luggage, accessories, shoes, jewelry, silks, belts, watches, eyewear, fragrances, and the Gucci Décor collection. The brand will also offer exclusive pieces, such as handbags in precious leathers and distinctive jewelry.

    Walls on the first and second levels use materials inspired by Japanese traditional bamboo work and are exclusively developed for #GucciNamiki.

    The third floor, scheduled to open in the fall, will house the Gucci Apartment, which, by appointment, will allow privacy and be dedicated to made-to-order, personalization and other special services. It will also showcase the Gucci Décor collection.

    Photos from François Pinault’s private collection will be on display. “This is the first Apartment in a Gucci store,” observed Bizzarri.

    Additionally, later in the year, a Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura will open on the fourth level of the building, curated by the three-Michelin-star chef Massimo Bottura, a childhood friend of Bizzarri’s.

    One way to differentiate the stores is through food, said Bizzarri, paying close attention to the territory and giving a local flavor to each. The restaurant will be the third in the world following the first at the Gucci Garden in Florence in 2018, followed by one in Los Angeles on the rooftop of the Beverly Hills flagship.

    Further linking with the country, artwork by Japanese artist and longtime friend of the house Yuko Higuchi will embellish the Osteria’s façade on Namiki-dori Street. Celebrating the opening, illustrations by Higuchi will also adorn limited-edition items, available in the store. Gucci has been collaborating with the Tokyo-based artist on several projects, including a special spring 2018 and fall 2020 kids capsule collection. One of her works also decorates one of the Galleria walls of the Gucci Garden in Florence.

    The store may attract some additional interest in light of the Tokyo Summer Olympics, expected to kick off on July 23, but Bizzarri said this was purely a coincidence and never meant to coincide with the event. “Gucci has been working on the store for a long time, and it was conceived for local customers,” he said.

    Japan accounts for 7 percent of Gucci’s revenues, which in 2020 amounted to 7.44 billion euros. There are a total of 67 Gucci stores in Japan.

    Kering chief financial officer Jean-Marc Duplaix, presenting the group’s annual results last month, said “Japan improved in the fourth quarter on a somewhat easier comp base, containing its decline to 10 percent, supported by nice growth with local customers,” in the wake of the pandemic and the lack of tourist flows.

    Courting local clientele and Asia are clearly a focus in 2021, as Bizzarri revealed Gucci will also open “a very important store in Seoul” by the end of the year. A fourth Osteria — and “last,” said Bizzarri — will also find a home in that venue. In that case, Gucci will work with a Korean artist for the facade.

    Gucci has recently launched several dedicated initiatives in Japan. Last June, debuting its first circular collection Gucci Off the Grid, an entire range of products were created in a special blue color exclusively for the Japanese market in a selection of genderless bags, wallets, sneakers, rtw and hats. Japanese musician Miyavi, another friend of the house, was featured in the ad campaign.

    In July 2020, for the opening of the Gucci Miyashita Park store, graphic designer Tadanori Yokoo and illustrator Shohei Otomo were invited to develop new artworks dedicated to the brand, inspired by Gucci key visual codes, displayed at the store and at the Shibuya station.

    Last October, Gucci released the second issue of the Chime Zine, including a special section focused on Japan, with essays, interviews and artwork related to feminism, gender and self-expression in Japanese society. Contributors include Yuki Chizui, a sushi chef and owner of a sushi restaurant with an all-female staff; Yume Morimoto, a queer feminist writer and founder of a bilingual zine, and members of WAIFU, a resistance nightlife party founded on the principles of intersectional feminism and inclusion. The cover of the Japan spotlight featured women of Bluestocking, Japan’s first feminist literary journal credited with helping to launch the feminist movement in Japan.

    Bizzarri said the Gucci 9 live video call experience, offered by the Gucci Live service that debuted last May in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region, which helped discover the collection remotely, is being expanded to Japan.

    Gucci, which marks its centenary this year, has been receiving additional attention from the Ridley Scott “House of Gucci” film that is currently being filmed in Italy. The film offers a dramatized version of the real-life events in the late 1980s and early ’90s that led to the murder of Maurizio Gucci — the grandson of Guccio Gucci, the founder of the Italian fashion house. In the film, Lady Gaga plays the role of Patrizia Reggiani, who commissioned the murder of her ex-husband Maurizio Gucci, played by Adam Driver.

    Asked to comment on the film, Bizzarri underscored that the Gucci family is no longer involved in the brand today, and that the movie will not extend to the post-Investcorp developments and thus not be related to the current owner, Kering, owned by the Pinault family. He added that the company is allowing “total creative freedom” to the production.

  • Puma’s China sales slowly up

    Puma’s China sales slowly up

    After a pandemic-served beatdown last year, Puma has clawed its way to recovery. On February 24, the German sportswear giant reported that sales jumped 9 percent to 1.52 billion euros in the last three months of 2020 — a promising upswing from the 55-percent plummet in its second quarter. Overall, sales were down 1.4 percent to 5.23 billion euros for the financial year.

    This rebound was led by strong performance in the Asia Pacific, which surged 11.8 percent in the fourth quarter to 480.5 million euros, driven by mainland China. But the country alone was not enough to stop the region’s full-year sales from falling 3.2 percent compared to 2019 levels, down to 1.48 billion euros.

    Given the importance of these global markets, Puma doubled down on establishing local relevance, particularly through sports, influencers, and communication platforms. This was not only reflected in the brand’s return to basketball and collaboration with grammy-winning artist J. Cole, but also its increasing partnerships with popular Chinese talents, including actors Yang Yang, Li Xian, and Liu Haoran as well as supermodel Liu Wen.

    The brand further grew its China footprint by leveraging the country’s biggest shopping holiday, Singles’ Day, logging 2.8 million orders and 80 million euros in revenue over the week. And already, Puma is making good on its goal to design more products specific to the market, partnering with Hong Kong-based artist Michael Lau, “The Godfather of Toy Figures,” to ring in the new year.

    That said, all Puma products did well in the fourth quarter, with apparel growing 15.7 percent, accessories up 7.3 percent, and footwear increasing 3.8 percent.

    “We clearly see a running boom in the whole world,” CEO Bjorn Gulden told journalists, adding that orders for 2021 are up almost 30 percent compared to last year, especially for running products.

    This tracks with Puma’s Q3 results, which showed strong demand for performance-related products, especially for individual sports like running or hiking. With the healthy living trend expected to persist after the pandemic, the sporting goods sector is positioned to weather the crisis better than most.

    But Puma isn’t out of the storm just yet. With almost half of its retail stores in Europe still closed and other markets operating under significant restrictions, the apparel maker is bracing for impact in the first half of 2021. However, the brand is also confident that its quick Q4 recovery and strong order book — along with global efforts to combat the virus — will lead to a moderate sales bump later this year.

    “I am convinced that 2021 will be a better year for us than 2020,” Gulden said. Knock on wood.

  • Gucci, Facebook file joint lawsuit against alleged counterfeiter

    Gucci, Facebook file joint lawsuit against alleged counterfeiter

    Gucci and Facebook have filed a joint lawsuit in California against an individual who allegedly used the U.S. group’s social media platforms to sell fake Gucci products, the two companies said on Tuesday.

    The initiative, a first of its kind for both Gucci and Facebook, is the latest example of an Internet giant joining forces with a luxury label to fight the proliferation of counterfeit goods being sold via social media.

    Amazon has filed similar lawsuits over the past year with Valentino and Ferragamo.

    In a statement, Gucci – the profit engine of French group Kering – and Facebook alleged the unidentified defendant used multiple Facebook and Instagram accounts to promote her international online counterfeit business.

    Online sales of luxury handbags, shoes, and garments have boomed over the past year as the coronavirus pandemic forced retailers to temporarily close their stores.

    Groups like Facebook are keen to make a bigger push into the luxury market and “social commerce”, but to do so they need to show that their platforms are not a conduit for counterfeiting and are safe for brands, some of which are reluctant to sell their products through third-party players.

    “More than one million pieces of content were removed from Facebook and Instagram in the first half of 2020, based on thousands of reports of counterfeit content from brand owners, including Gucci,” the statement said.

    It added that in 2020 alone the actions of Gucci’s in-house intellectual property team had resulted in four million online counterfeit product listings being taken down, the seizure of 4.1 million counterfeit products, and 45,000 websites, including social media accounts, being disabled.

  • Fashion designer Alber Elbaz has died

    Fashion designer Alber Elbaz has died

    Alber Elbaz, the fashion designer whose audacious designs transformed the storied French house Lanvin into an industry darling before his shock ouster in 2015, has died aged 59, the Richemont luxury group said Sunday.

    “It was with shock and enormous sadness that I heard of Alber’s sudden passing,” Richemont chairman Johann Rupert said in a statement. No cause of death was given.

    The veteran fashion journalist Suzy Menkes, citing Rupert in an Instagram post, said Elbaz “has left this world after a three-week struggle with Covid”.

    A company spokeswoman confirmed Elbaz had died from Covid on Saturday, but would not confirm reports he was being treated at the American Hospital in the Paris suburb of Neuilly-sur-Seine.

    Elbaz, an Israeli born in Morocco (as Albert), restored the luster to Lanvin during his 14 years at the helm of France’s oldest couture brand, giving classic tailoring a more playful edge.

    Hollywood stars including Cate Blanchett and Sienna Miller were devotees, in particular of his svelt black cocktail dresses, and the house flourished financially during his tenure.

    “Women are more independent, more daring,” he told L’Express magazine in 2008.

    “A dress has to accompany them. They want to move with it, live with it. Movement is essential for me — it’s life.”

    ‘True pioneer’

    Instantly recognizable with his oversize round glasses and his penchant for bow ties, Elbaz also earned fans an affable and ebullient demeanor that set him apart in an industry known for prickly personalities.

    After beginning his career with the American designer Geoffrey Beene in New York, he took over at Guy Laroche in 1996 before joining Yves Saint Laurent in 1998 to design ready-to-wear collections for the French master.

    In 2001 he was hired by Lanvin shortly after its acquisition by a group of investors led by the Chinese billionaire Shaw-Lan Wang.

    Under his guidance, the storied brand refound its lost glamour and Elbaz himself became one of the fashion world’s most respected figures.

    He was also attuned to the lower ends of the market, collaborating with the Swedish fast-fashion giant H&M in 2010 for a hugely popular capsule collection.

    “I always told myself I’d never do a collection for a mass retailer, but what finally intrigued me was the idea that H&M was embracing luxury, rather than having Lanvin adapt itself to mass retailing… and without losing its soul,” Elbaz said at the time.

    “He was one of the most creative, funniest men in fashion, and a true pioneer in the industry,” Edward Enninful, editor-in-chief of British Vogue, said on Instagram.

    “He was also one of the most talented designers I’ve ever worked with — even though he always preferred to call himself ‘a dressmaker’.”

    So it was all the more shocking when Elbaz was unceremoniously fired as Lanvin’s creative director in October 2015, reportedly after a clash with Wang.

    Elbaz never joined another fashion house afterward but formed a series of partnerships, including with the Swiss-based conglomerate Richemont in 2019.

    Lanvin, for its part, reported its first annual loss in a decade following his departure and has since cycled through a series of creative directors.

    “Alber had a richly deserved reputation as one of the industry’s brightest and most beloved figures,” Richemont’s Rupert said.

    “His inclusive vision of fashion made women feel beautiful and comfortable by blending traditional craftsmanship with technology — highly innovative projects which sought to redefine the industry.”

    French President Emmanuel Macron said the designer had “made French elegance shine around the world”.

    “He extended and enriched the line of designers who forged the legend of French elegance,” Macron said in a statement.

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  • Adidas quits Hong Kong Central as retail stagnation continues

    Adidas quits Hong Kong Central as retail stagnation continues

    Adidas is exiting Hong Kong’s Central prime business district. The German sportswear giant signed a HK$4.34 million a month, or HK$52.1 million a year, lease for the 13,000 sq ft shop at 36 Queen’s Road in 2015. Removal staff were seen dismantling shelves and putting away stock on Wednesday.

    “After a thorough review we have decided to close the Adidas Brand Center on Queen’s Road,” the company said on Wednesday. “We continue to have a strong presence in Hong Kong, with more than 20 Adidas stores and multiple franchise stores.”

    Adidas is potentially following in the footsteps of Gap, Topshop, and Esprit, brands that have either shut shop in Central or exited Hong Kong altogether. International brands that rely heavily on mainland Chinese and other tourists for sales in Hong Kong have found themselves unable to sustain business operations after the city essentially closed its borders early last year to combat and contain its coronavirus outbreak. Visitor arrivals dropped by about 94 percent last year to 3.57 million. Retail sales too fell, by 24.3 percent to HK$326.5 billion.

    “It is not surprising to see major retailers closing down, especially their prime flagship shops,” said Hannah Jeong, head of the valuation and advisory services at Colliers International in Hong Kong. “Despite a 25 percent drop in overall retail shop rents, and some prime street shops facing up to a 50 percent reduction in rents, operations costs including rental expenses are still not yet sustainable, given the large cuts in revenue.”

    Rents on Russell Street in Hong Kong’s prime shopping district Causeway Bay stood at US$2,671 per square foot in 2018. By the second quarter of 2019, it was the world’s most expensive shopping avenue, with rents at US$2,745 per square foot a year on average, according to commercial real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield. The city’s exorbitant rents coupled with plunging retail sales have made business operations unviable for many retailers.

    Adidas’s lease for the space expired last year and it opted for a short-term deal, which suggests “the brand might leave at any time”, said Thomas Chan, research analyst at property agency Midland IC&I. “According to market news, a local bank may lease the premises for over HK$2 million a month, down almost 54 percent compared with the last lease, if the deal is sealed,” he said.

    The city will see more reasonable shop operations, given the softening of the retail market, said Colliers’ Jeong. “Flagship shops will find it difficult to make a profit. Therefore, we will see more brands looking for smaller shops to maximize the dollar spend per square foot. This does not necessarily mean that retail brands are closing down, or withdrawing from the Hong Kong market. It is rather that shop requirements of retailers are changing.”

    Indeed, Adidas itself rented the shop at 36 Queen’s Road at a rate that was 22.5 percent cheaper than that paid by its previous tenant, US luxury brand Coach, according to the Land Registry.

    The number of foreign brands have expanded in Central of late. Casual clothes brand American Eagle has taken up a 7,000 sq ft space vacated by Gap in LHT Tower just a few steps away from the vacated Adidas shop. In October last year, mid-priced French sporting goods retailer Decathlon rented a 9,300 sq ft shop previously rented by luxury leather goods retailer MCM in Entertainment Building in Central.

    “It is quite common to see retailers come and go across different retail districts in Hong Kong, as they adjust their retail strategies. As retail rents have dropped significantly, by as much as 60 percent from their peak in the third quarter of 2014, international retailers are in fact looking for prime spaces to take advantage of the cheaper rents,” said Lawrence Wan, senior director, advisory and transaction services – retail, at CBRE.

  • Estée Lauder names Kōki as new Global Brand Ambassador

    Estée Lauder names Kōki as new Global Brand Ambassador

    The Estée Lauder Companies has named Japanese model Kōki as the newest global brand ambassador for its flagship Estée Lauder brand.

    She will feature across the brand’s digital, television, in-store, and print media, in domestic and travel retail markets, beginning with a makeup campaign in April. Kōki will also appear in all of Estée Lauder’s digital campaigns beginning in the Autumn.

    Kōki — real name Mitsuki Kimura — was born and raised in Tokyo. She began her modeling career in 2018 and appeared on the covers of several high-profile fashion magazines in Japan and in the wider Asia Pacific region. This includes Harper’s Bazaar Hong Kong, ELLE Japan, ELLE Hong Kong, Marie Claire Japan and InStyle China among others.

    In 2018, Kōki won the Elle Cinema Rising Star Award. The following year, she made her runway debut at the Chanel Cruise Collection fashion show. She is also currently serving as a brand ambassador for other leading luxury brands such as Bvlgari, Coach, and Louis Vuitton.

    Kōki joins a stellar roster of Estée Lauder brand ambassadors which include South Sudanese Model Anok Yai, Italian model/actress/socialite Bianca Brandolini D’Adda, American model Carolyn Murphy, Indian model Diana Penty, American models Grace Elizabeth and Karlie Kloss, Chinese Actress Yang Mi and recently-appointed Cuban actress Ana de Armas.

    “Kōki brings a fresh energy to the Estée Lauder brand,” commented The Estée Lauder Companies Group President and Estée Lauder and AERIN Global Brand President Stéphane de La Faverie. “We are excited to amplify her rising star power to connect our brand with a new generation of consumers in Japan and around the world while continuing the brand’s legacy of celebrating women across all backgrounds, ages, and ethnicities.”

    Commenting on her role, Kōki said: “It is a dream come true to join the Estée Lauder brand. It is such an iconic brand that is loved by so many women around the world. I am honored and grateful to be a part of it.”

  • Jewelry firm PNJ eyes 15-pct post-tax profits growth

    Jewelry firm PNJ eyes 15-pct post-tax profits growth

    At its annual general meeting Saturday, it also announced a revenue target of VND21 trillion, up 20 percent.

    But Phu Hung Securities Corporation has forecast revenues of VND18.4 trillion and profits of VND1.09 trillion, explaining that the volatility in gold prices and consumers’ increasing preference for imported jewelry would keep numbers down.

    BSC Securities expected the jewelry industry to recover this year, and forecast PNJ a 22 percent rise in profits to VND1.3 trillion on revenues of VND19.8 trillion (up 13 percent).

    PNJ chairwoman Cao Thi Ngoc Dung said the targets are achievable since the pandemic would be contained this year and the economy would recover.

    The company aims to open 40-45 stores in 2021 and buy machinery for its jewelry workshops.

    Its CEO, Le Tri Thong, said demand for jewelry among young people in major cities is high, and this would boost the company’s revenues and profits. Smaller cities and rural areas too however show promise, he said.

    Last year, revenues edged up 3 percent to VND17.5 trillion, but Thong pointed out though the growth was lower than the average of 32 percent in recent years, the fact that PNJ managed to grow its revenues amid the pandemic was a success for it.

    It opened 29 stores and closed 36 existing ones in 2020, most of them were silver jewelry stores in shopping malls with modest business and high rentals.

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  • Piaget to expand store network across China

    Piaget to expand store network across China

    Piaget, the luxury watch brand from Switzerland, will be opening more stores in 2021, especially in the Middle East and China, Chief Executive Chabi Nouri has told Reuters.

    “We’ll open more stores this year. We’ll reopen a flagship store in Beverly Hills and also have projects in the Middle East and China,” Nouri noted in an interview at the Watches and Wonders online event held last week.

    Piaget, with its array of well-known sleek and slim timepieces, has opened 130 brand-specific outlets and has a network of 300 retail partners.

    Piaget said in a January statement that high demand from China had driven sales to increase by five percent in the last quarter of 2020.

    Nouri noted that Piaget, which also creates watches encrusted with gems, diamonds, and jewelry, had bolstered its e-commerce presence while remaining focused on its own outlets, retail partnerships, and online selling to assist the distribution process.

    Nouri stated that in the wake of the coronavirus disease pandemic, Piaget was left with no choice but to reassess its strategies on connecting with its customer base and partners, though not impelling it to make adjustments to its product line.

    At the Watches and Wonders event, Piaget displayed timepieces, including the Limelight Gala Precious Rainbow gold model that is bedecked with colorful rainbow-hued sapphires and is priced at $106,922.99.

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  • Korean fashion house ADLV lands in Australia this May

    Korean fashion house ADLV lands in Australia this May

    The Korean clothing brand Acmé de la Vie (ADLV) opened its first stationary store in Australia in May of this year in QV Melbourne in front of a local online shop.

    ADLV co-founders Jinmo and Jaemo Goo started the streetwear business in 2017 and opened their first store in the Korean district of Gangnam. Since then, the brand has opened more than 50 stores in Asia, partnering with Disney, Pink Fong, Kakaotalk and The Simpsons.

    ADLV’s Australian director Ying Yang said the company knew streetwear was a staple of Australian fashion.

    “We love to see how consumers adapt pieces to the Australian climate. Given the circumstances and the year we have all been through, we are both proud and grateful that we can continue our growth and better serve our customers on this side of the world. “

    The brand was inspired by the French passage “acme de la vie” ;, which means “the high point of life”.

    Focusing on high-end streetwear fashions like t-shirts, sweats, hoodies, accessories, and outerwear, ADLV is known for graphics and pop culture characters like the Baby Face series.

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  • H&M marks Zalora launch with exclusive online collection

    H&M marks Zalora launch with exclusive online collection

    The partnership with H&M and  Zalora as H&M’s e-commerce partner in Southeast Asia covering four markets namely Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and  Indonesia. The tie-up debuted in Indonesia in mid-March, 1 April in Malaysia, and on 14 April in Singapore. H&M and Zalora also confirmed the extension of the initial two-month collaboration in the Philippines, which began in Q4 2020 to a long-term one.

    “Following our success in the Philippines these past months, we are excited to continue strengthening our partnership with Zalora by further extending our footprint across Southeast Asia. Backed by its strong presence in key markets, Zalora complements our extensive physical store portfolio as well as our digital stores at hm.com. We see great potential for substantial future growth and Zalora will be an important part of this to cater to the evolving needs and demands of our customers, so we can shape a more sustainable future for fashion and be even more locally relevant,”  says Oldouz Mirzaie, Regional Manager of H&M South Asia and Pacific.

    “We are excited to continue working with a globally renowned fashion brand like H&M and bring their extensive range to over 400 million digital consumers in Southeast Asia. As the largest online fashion and lifestyle vertical in the region, we will leverage our deep local expertise and strong fulfillment and logistics network to support H&M as they continue their strategy of integrating offline and online retail,”  shares Zalora’s CEO, Gunjan Soni.

    On 1 April 2021 , all online shoppers in Malaysia gained access to H&M´s fashion products on Zalora across all categories of customer groups: women, men, teenagers, and children. Online shoppers can now find everything with a klick of a button for any occasion –  from the casual weekend and sporty essentials to dressy workpieces and trendy must-haves.

  • Hong Kong chain AbouThai raided over labelling breaches

    Hong Kong chain AbouThai raided over labelling breaches

    Hong Kong authorities have seized nearly 9000 Thai cleaning products suspected to have wrong labeling from a shop founded by a pro-democracy activist facing charges under the city’s contentious national security law. Customs officers on Thursday raided 25 shops belonging to the chain, AbouThai, and arrested a 33-year-old male director of the group, the government said in a statement.

    The suspect had been released on bail and further arrests had not been ruled out, it added.

    “The product information marked on the packages of the products involved failed to bear Chinese and English bilingual warnings or cautions,” it said, adding the estimated market value of the 8805 products seized was about HK$400,000 (US$51,400).

    Under Hong Kong’s Consumer Goods Safety Ordinance, warnings or cautions on products must be in both English and Chinese and are required to be “legibly and conspicuously shown on the goods”.

    Customs chiefs said the raids were carried out in connection with missing safety warnings on cleaning products, with some only having warnings or cautions in Thai, while others bore warnings or cautions in Thai and English.

    The company’s founder, Mike Lam, is among 47 democrats charged under the city’s national security law on a charge of conspiracy to commit subversion and is currently on bail.

    Crowds queued outside branches of the shop across the city on Friday to show support for Lam, with some saying they believed the raid was politically motivated.

    “I find it unreasonable that the Customs targeted AbouThai. That’s why I come here to support. I am quite touched that many people come,” said Chris, who declined to give his full name due to the sensitivity of the national security law.

    The legislation punishes what Beijing broadly defines as secessionism, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces with up to life in jail.

    Local broadcaster RTHK quoted Vincent Chan, from the customs consumer protection bureau, as saying the department condemned any “false accusation” that the raid was an “act of repression”.

    Hong Kong anti-government protesters have queued outside businesses that openly support the democracy movement since anti-government protests flared in 2019.

    The former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997 with a promise of safeguards for its wide-ranging autonomy. Democracy activists say authorities are chipping away at those freedoms, accusations which officials in Beijing and Hong Kong reject.

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  • Some luxury brands thriving in Korea despite pandemic

    Some luxury brands thriving in Korea despite pandemic

    Expensive luxury brands are racking up strong sales in South Korea, despite the coronavirus outbreak.

    Consumers, denied overseas travel, have resorted to spending on luxury goods instead, gaining popularity among the MZ Generation (millennials and Generation Z) in particular.

    The Financial Supervisory Service reported that Christian Dior Couture Korea Co, the South Korean branch of French luxury brand Christian Dior, generated operating profits of 104.7 billion won (US$93.6 million) last year, 2.4 times more than the previous year.

    The company reported 328.5 billion won in sales and 77.7 billion won in net income, up by 75.8 percent and 253.4 percent, respectively.

    Moncler Korea, the operator of the puffer jacket brand Moncler, generated 31.7 billion won in operating profits and 23.1 billion won in net income last year, up by 57.4 percent and 59 percent from the previous year.

    The Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy reported that last year’s luxury sales at major department stores jumped by more than 15 percent from the previous year.

    Out of all products sold at department stores, only products from famous foreign brands and household goods saw a rise in sales.

    There are other high-end brands, however, that failed to demonstrate better performance.

    Ferragamo Korea, the South Korean branch for the luxury shoes brand Salvatore Ferragamo, reported 4.5 billion won in operating profits last year, a drop of more than 50 percent from the previous year.

    The company generated 105.6 billion won in sales and 3.5 billion won in net income, dropping by 29.7 percent and 56.9 percent.

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  • Dolce & Gabbana opens first DG Beauty boutique in Southeast Asia

    Dolce & Gabbana opens first DG Beauty boutique in Southeast Asia

    Italian luxury brand Dolce & Gabbana has opened its first DG Beauty boutique in Southeast Asia at Ion Orchard, in Singapore.

    The 92sqm store will host a selection of fragrances, and for the first time will exclusively sell its makeup line in-store.

    Each corner of the boutique is adorned with details reflecting the brand’s “La Casa” DNA,  allowing customers to immerse themselves in Dolce & Gabbana’s aesthetic.

    According to the brand, its makeup collection will be luxurious, high-impact, and sensorial, inspired by its Italian heritage. Fragrances such as Light Blue, The One, and K by Dolce & Gabbana, will also appear alongside the brand’s latest novelties like the Fruit Collection, Dolce Rose, and Deva Cassel as the face of the fragrance collection.

    The DG Beauty boutique in Singapore will also offer the exclusive Velvet fragrance line, a collection of perfumes inspired by its designers’ vision of Sicily and the Mediterranean.

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  • Malabar to open 56 stores most sit in Asia

    Malabar to open 56 stores most sit in Asia

    In India, the expansion will span Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Delhi, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, and Kerala, and globally, new outlets will open in Singapore, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, and the UAE.

    In India 12 new stores are slated to open in Q1 of the fiscal in Chennai, Lucknow, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Pune, and Bengaluru, and in small towns like Eluru, Mancherial, Solapur, and Ahmednagar. Globally, new shops will open in Little India in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Penang in Malaysia, Ruwi, Baushar and Al Khoudh in Oman, Jeryan Jenaihat and Rawdat in Qatar, Bab al Bahrain in Bahrain, and in the UAE in Al Zahia and Muweilah in Sharjah, and Silicon Oasis and Dubai Gold Souk Dubai.

    Malabar Group Chairman, MP Ahammed, said: “In over 25 years, we have transformed from a small retail jewelry business to a global player across the verticals of gold and diamond jewelry retail, manufacturing, and multi-retail business. Transparency and customer trust have been our growth pillars and the new expansion will take us to the next level.”

    He said the new stores will offer an unparalleled customer experience in line with the Malabar Promise of incomparable quality and service assurance. The group’s goal is to be the number one jewelry retail brand in the world in terms of showroom numbers and turnover.

    Abdul Salam KP, Group Executive Director of Malabar Group, said: “In line with our social commitment, the expansion will create 1,750 new jobs. We follow industry best practices, ethical sourcing, and professional fund management.”

    “The expansion will strengthen the group’s retail footprints in territories where it has a strong presence,” said Shamlal Ahamed, Managing Director, International Operations of Malabar Gold and Diamonds.

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  • Chinese ‘limited edition’ sneaker sales soar after Xinjiang backlash

    Chinese ‘limited edition’ sneaker sales soar after Xinjiang backlash

    Prices of some Chinese limited edition sneakers soared among collectors and speculators following calls for local consumers to boycott global brands that have said they don’t source products or yarn from China’s western Xinjiang region. Nike and Adidas came under attack on Chinese social media last month over past comments.

    Some researchers and foreign lawmakers say Xinjiang authorities use coercive labor programs to meet seasonal cotton-picking needs, which China strongly denies.

    The listed price of the “All Star” version of Li-Ning Way of Wade 4 on the Dewu App – the country’s largest sneaker resale platform also known as “Poizon” – reached 48,889 yuan ($7,463) per pair, 31 times higher than the official price of 1,499 yuan, the state-owned Global Times reported on Monday.

    Anta’s Doraemon-themed casual shoes on the platform were also eight times higher than the original price of 499 yuan.

    Both offerings disappeared from Dewu, which deleted listings for numerous local shoe models after state media criticized speculation on sneaker prices and taking advantage of people’s patriotic feelings.

    “A large number of internet users choose to support domestic brands, which is normal,” said a Tuesday opinion piece on People.cn, the website of the People’s Daily, the official newspaper of China’s ruling Communist Party.

    “But some scalpers though they have caught on to a business opportunity as if they smelled blood.”

    Dewu on Tuesday said that it deleted listings of 20 kinds of sneakers made by Chinese sportswear brands including Li Ning and Anta Sports after noticing abnormal price fluctuation.

    Michael John, research and strategy manager at Shanghai-based consultancy AgencyChina, said he believes the frenzy for domestic sneaker brands will pass.

    “First, the platform Dewu continues to facilitate the exchange of limited edition Nike and Adidas sneakers,” he told Reuters on Tuesday.

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