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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.

  • Burberry Japan opening a virtual showroom in partnership with Elle

    Burberry Japan opening a virtual showroom in partnership with Elle

    The virtual and interactive experience will replicate the brand’s flapship Ginza store and will serve as a space to present its Spring/Summer 2021 collection. Customers will be able to purchase items from the collection by selecting the digital items in store for one month, beginning from March 19. The experience will live exclusively on Elle Japan and Ellegirl Digital Japan’s websites.

    Burberry is among the leading luxury players to have invested in digital innovation to merge digital and physical store spaces, with Louis Vuitton and Gucci also joining the market. As part of the new experience, Burberry has also collaborated with actress Elaiza Ikeda to create five styling videos that will appear throughout the virtual store and assist customer’s shopping experience.

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  • Pomelo expands its online presence with localised Philippines store

    Pomelo expands its online presence with localised Philippines store

    The omnichannel fashion platform has launched a localized online store in the Philippines as part of its digital expansion across Southeast Asia.

    According to Pomelo, monthly orders from the Philippines currently account for around 10 percent of Pomelo’s total orders. Coinciding with the brand’s eight-year anniversary, the launch will help the brand strengthen their presence in Southeast Asia and increase its market share in the Philippines. Currently, the brand’s listing on Zalora Philippines has amassed more than 100,000 unique orders from locals.

    The Philippines’ online store will house Pomelo’s exclusive collaborations and fashion-forward apparel, including the brand’s new Spring/Summer 2021 Collection. The store will also feature the brand’s cashback reward and loyalty program, ‘Pomelo Perks.’

    This year in particular has seen the brand’s efforts to expand across the region increase with new stores launched in Singapore and Indonesia. The brand will also launch a flagship store in Malaysia this May.

  • New Levi’s store in Indonesia is its largest in SEA

    New Levi’s store in Indonesia is its largest in SEA

    The store represents the brand’s largest store yet in Southeast Asia, and features the brand’s new ‘Next Gen’ design concept.

    The new store is located in Grand Indonesia East Mall and features a range of technology features including Levi’s first associate ordering system, which is part of a broader omni-channel shopping experience. The new store also features a Tailor Shop where customers are able to customize their own items; options available include embroidery, hemming and alterations. Customers can also create their own t-shirt at the store’s print bar.

    Sameer Koul, Country Manager at Levi Strauss Indonesia, commented: “We are focused on bringing a highly personalized shopping experience to consumers and in a large format. This store can embody a bold brand image and vision for Indonesia. Levi’s Next Gen Store offers the most diverse products and brings our brand story to life with the feeling of being in a theatre.”

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  • Fashion giant H&M’s sales recover in March as stores reopen after lockdowns

    Fashion giant H&M’s sales recover in March as stores reopen after lockdowns

    Sales at fashion group H&M fell slightly less than expected in the three months through February and rose in the first half of March as pandemic restrictions were eased in some markets, allowing hundreds of stores to reopen.

    The world’s second-biggest apparel retailer said on Monday net sales fell 27% from a year earlier, or 21% when measured in local currencies, to 40.1 billion crowns ($4.72 billion).

    Analysts had on average forecast a 30% decline in net sales for the period – the Swedish group’s fiscal first-quarter – according to Refinitiv SmartEstimate.

    “Sales development was significantly affected by the COVID-19 situation, with extensive restrictions and at most over 1,800 stores temporarily closed,” H&M said in a statement.

    “Since the beginning of February, a number of markets have gradually allowed stores to reopen and at the end of the quarter around 1,300 stores remained temporarily closed,” it said, adding that online sales had continued to develop very well.

    RBC analyst Richard Chamberlain, who has a “sector perform” rating on H&M’s shares, said the figures implied that online sales had provided a stronger-than-expected boost in February.

    H&M said sales in the March 1–13 period were up 10% in local currencies as many countries, including single-biggest market Germany, began allowing some stores to reopen. However, about 900 of H&M’s approximately 5,000 stores remained closed due to pandemic lockdowns as of March 13.

    Chamberlain said most stores should be open by mid-April bar new lockdowns in Europe, H&M’s main market.

    “As such, we see the potential for a strong sales recovery in the remainder of the year, with potential for gross margin to surprise on the upside, due to the weaker U.S. dollar,” he said.

    Market leader Inditex, the owner of Zara, last week forecast a return to healthy sales as soon as lockdown are lifted, as it reported a 70% fall in profit for its fiscal year through January. It predicted all its shops would be open by mid-April.

    H&M, whose full December-February earnings report is due on March 31, is bracing for a loss in the quarter after the pandemic slashed 2020 profits by 88%.

    Shares in H&M were up 3% in early trading, taking a year-to-date rise to 32%

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  • Hermes opens giant store in Tokyo’s ritzy Omotesando

    Hermes opens giant store in Tokyo’s ritzy Omotesando

    Hermès is delighted to announce the opening of a new address in Tokyo’s Omotesando district on 28th February 2021. This new 488 square-meter home will be the house’s first free-standing store in Tokyo since the opening of Maison Hermès Ginza in 2001. A beautiful boulevard leading to Meiji Shrine, Omotesando Avenue is today lined on both sides with high-end boutiques and zelkova trees.

    Its intricate back streets are home to Tokyo’s vibrant street culture, attracting designers and artists from all around the world. It is here, on one of the city’s unique streets, adjacent to Shibuya and Harajuku, that the new Hermès store comes to life. The store’s distinctive façade opens directly onto Omotesando Avenue and incorporates the historic stone wall of one of the area’s most notable buildings, which has been preserved by the Parisian architecture agency RDAI.

    The façade is given a contemporary look with a copper-toned stainless-steel grid, adding depth and light to the exterior, just as light and shadows intermingle in a bamboo grove. Upon entering, visitors are greeted by the Ex-Libris in mosaic, inspired by the Hermès Faubourg SaintHonoré store in Paris. On the right side, they can peruse the colorful women’s silk collections, including the new carré Duo Cosmique designed by Kohei Kyomori, and presented exclusively here.

    The window display is also specially designed by this young Japanese artist to celebrate the opening. Further on, fashion jewellery, beauty, and perfume, including the latest men’s fragrance H24 are elegantly displayed. In the beauty corner, the Rouge Hermès lipstick collection will wait to encounter new customers from mid-April. On the left side of the entrance, home collections including tableware and men’s silk are introduced. A leather section at the back of the store welcomes bags, small leather goods, and equestrian collections.

    Walls are covered in wood paneling and bamboo marquetry, accented by fluid curves, and a selection of women’s shoes is displayed on wooden shelves extending from one of the large pillars. The floor is covered with two shades of greenstone, sourced in Asia and laid in a pattern resembling Japanese tatami mats. Custom rugs with a hue reminiscent of forest moss lend a softness to space. Behind the staircase is a refined area for watches and jewelry.

    Finally, customers can pause at a wide table, and enjoy books and a Leporello of unique drawings by French artist François Houtin, displayed in a specially made curved frame. As customers ascend the stairs, they will discover another piece of art, created by Japanese contemporary bamboo artist Shoryu Honda. Inspired by the shape of clouds and infinite Moebius strips, the bamboo sculpture is an example of the sophistication of Japan’s world-class modern bamboo artistry. The sweeping staircase is one of the most striking architectural elements of the store.

    The organic shapes of its vertical columns resemble tree branches, while the stairs call to mind pale green stepping stones. Light filters down from the upper level to the ground floor, just as sunlight glistens between the branches of a forest and invites customers upstairs to dive into the women’s and men’s universes. On the second floor, mobile partitions create an intimate space for each métier while giving the illusion of transparency. There are large fitting rooms for both men and women, with the former designed in order to incorporate made-to-measure orders in the future.

    Among the selection of special objects created for this opening are a skateboard and a surfboard, both revisited in a special edition with Jan Bajtlik’s design Cheval de Fête, and uniquely numbered Mega Chariot carrés and ties by Daiske Nomura. A newly unveiled Hermès bike made of ash wood will also be presented for the occasion. Paying tribute to local artists, materials, and know-how, this new store is a testimony to Hermès’ strong relationship with Japan and invites local customers and new visitors into a discovery of the house’s creativity and fine craftsmanship in a harmonious and warm environment.

  • Ted Baker appoints new Indonesian distributor

    Ted Baker appoints new Indonesian distributor

    The MENA deal is actually an extension to the current retail agreement Ted Baker has with Al-Futtaim Group but adds in new e-commerce and wholesale rights for the region. The all-new 10-year Indonesia dealx has been signed with PT Mitra Adiperkasa (MAP) for the retail license.

    The fellow-10-year Al-Futtaim agreement now means MENA will be Ted Baker’s first full omnichannel territory operated by a license partner. The complete integrated package across retail, digital and wholesale channels “is a key pillar of the group’s three-year transformation plan… which is designed to deliver a more profitable, more cash generative and higher return on capital employed business”, Ted Baker said.

    Al-Futtaim currently operates 24 Ted Baker stores and concessions across Bahrain, Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and UAE. The addition of e-commerce and wholesale rights will aim to further strengthen the customer experience of the brand in the region, they said. Specific benefits to customers will include alignment of pricing and promotions across channels, and an improved e-commerce proposition with shorter delivery times, and ship-from-store and click-and-collect services.

    Meanwhile, under the terms of its retail and selective digital rights agreement, MAP has “committed to an ambitious store and concession opening plan and will sell via selective online platforms in Indonesia”. This expanded distribution will build brand awareness in the Asian region alongside the five other license partners and the group’s China JV, Ted Baker noted.

    Following these new license agreements, Ted Baker will have 17 retail license partners and 20 product license partners across the globe.

    Helen Costello, Group Commercial and Business Development Director at Ted Baker, said: “Having worked with the Al-Futtaim team for many years, we know they have an excellent understanding of Ted Baker and our customers. Al-Futtaim’s experience also means that they are particularly well-placed to fully realize the significant growth potential from the accelerating consumer shift to online channels in the region”.

    She added: “MAP is the leading retail expert in Indonesia, and they have the right team and experience in place to build on the strong foundations that are already in place. It is a testament to the strength of our brand that we continue to partner with the leading experts in their relevant categories across the world”.

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  • Former Nike innovation chief joins speaker lineup for MarketingPulse 2021

    Former Nike innovation chief joins speaker lineup for MarketingPulse 2021

    A former senior Nike executive once named by Fast Company magazine as one of the most creative people in business, has been confirmed as a headline speaker at this month’s MarketingPulse 2021 virtual conference in Hong Kong.

    Greg Hoffman, global chief marketing officer at Nike from 2016-2018 before moving into the role of VP of global brand innovation until last year, now leads Modern Arena, a brand advisory group he founded for Fortune 500 brands, startups, and non-profit organizations.

    At MarketingPulse 2021, Asia’s premier marketing and branding conference, Hoffman will be drawing on his 27-year career with Nike to explain how innovation drives consumer experiences, envisioning the future of storytelling and the role of tomorrow’s CMOs.  Hoffman was a major strategic and creative influence for Nike at every major global sporting event, overseeing the launches of signature Nike products and innovations, and building the brands of its contracted athletes.

    A major part of Nike’s global marketing success was the strength of its experiential-anchored strategies which helped establish the iconic sportswear brand as one of the world’s pre-eminent storytellers. Hoffman was seen as a leading innovator in digital and physical brand experiences and broadly recognized for his role in the rise of marketing and design through that period.

    Under Hoffman’s leadership, Nike drove themes of equality, sustainability, and empowerment through sport. He was a member of the advisory board of the Nike Black Employee Network and as a member of the charitable Nike Foundation’s board.

    Another drawcard at MarketingPulse 2021 is Alves Huang, CEO, Qianxun (Hangzhou) Holdings, considered the current leading live-streaming e-commerce company in Mainland China.

    Huang founded Qianxun E-commerce in 2017 and in just four years his team has built the company into the country’s largest e-commerce live-streaming broadcasters. Among Qianxun’s successes was being recognized by Taobao Live as its number one e-commerce live-broadcasting agency, as manager of popular Taobao anchor Weiya Viya, who has more than 130 million fans on Chinese platforms.

    The company has long-term cooperative relations with more than 20,000 domestic and foreign brands and has already trained close to 40 anchors. At MarketingPulse 2021, Huang will explain the reasons why live-streaming e-commerce and short-video marketing is proving so successful in Mainland China.

    Putting purpose at the core

    Another high-profile speaker at MarketingPulse 2021 is Bryan Meehan, executive chair and CEO at Blue Bottle Coffee.

    A recent arrival to Hong Kong, Blue Bottle is a specialty coffee roaster and retailer headquartered in Oakland, California with cafes throughout the US, Japan and South Korea.

    Besides his passion for coffee, Meehan has always pursued a personal mission to do good for the environment. Both of his previous companies placed a premium on eco-consciousness – Fresh & Wild was one of the first organic food chains in the UK and Nude Skincare was an all-natural cosmetics business. While Blue Bottle maintains meticulous standards for roasting and brewing coffee (its Oakland location has a full lab to train new baristas), it is equally committed to sustainable business practices.

    At MarketingPulse 2021, Meehan will explain how to put purpose at the core of a business to connect brand values with today’s consumers, and share his success in marketing a globally renowned lifestyle coffee brand disrupting the industry.

    Register now to enjoy the privilege offer 55 percent discount (discount code: MPR02K5P) for Inside Retail readers.

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  • US luxury jeweller Hoorsenbuhs opens first overseas store in Japan

    US luxury jeweller Hoorsenbuhs opens first overseas store in Japan

    Los Angeles-based fine jewelry and lifestyle brand Hoorsenbuhs opened its first overseas store at the Ginza Six mall in Tokyo, Japan on Friday, March 5th.

    The 1,050 square foot space in Tokyo comes to life through the eyes of founder Robert Keith. For the store, Keith designed custom chairs, tables, lights, and jewelry cases featuring the brand’s signature tri-link chain motif. Artist Damien Hirst is among the brand’s most notable collectors and collaborators. Celebrity fans of the largely-unisex handmade jewelry collection include Brad Pitt, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Lenny Kravitz.

    To celebrate the opening, the brand will offer exclusive, one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry, apparel, eyewear, and lifestyle goods at the new boutique.

    “We’ve built a very strong and successful retail business in Japan, since our first partnership in 2011, including Ron Herman, Umeda Hankyu, and Isetan,” said Kether Parker, brand director. “The opening of our first Hoorsenbuhs store at G6 will be a destination for our extremely loyal customer base to discover and immerse themselves in all things Hoorsenbuhs.”

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  • Prada bags sales boost from China rebound

    Prada bags sales boost from China rebound

    Italian fashion group Prada’s sales and profits rebounded at the end of last year from a first-half slump due to the coronavirus pandemic, boosted by a strong performance in China and elsewhere in Asia, and the positive trend has carried on into 2021.

    Luxury fashion companies have been hit hard by the impact of the crisis on tourism and travel, but an improving backdrop in China, one of the world’s biggest luxury markets, has helped some companies to bounce back.

    Milan-based Prada, famous for its luxury bags and clothes, also benefited from a surge in online sales.

    The pandemic has accelerated the luxury goods industry’s move towards digital sales. Prada’s e-commerce sales more than tripled in 2020 versus 2019 levels, the Hong Kong-listed company said.

    Last year, Prada launched e-commerce in new key markets and revamped the Prada website.

    “We are just at the beginning of our growth trajectory and there is still a huge potential to unlock,” said marketing head Lorenzo Bertelli, son of Prada’s founders Miuccia Prada and Patrizio Bertelli, who are co-CEOs.

    CEO Patrizio Bertelli said: “We have 130 stores that are still closed due to the pandemic and group’s performance in early 2021 is quite good anyway. That give us the confidence to face the upcoming rebound, as soon as the most critical phase of the pandemic will end.”

    The first months of 2021 have seen a slight growth in sales compared with the early part of 2020 and are up from 2019 levels, CFO Alessandra Cozzani said conference call after the group’s results were published on Wednesday.

    CEO Bertelli said Prada had responded quickly to market changes, strengthening the relationship with local customers whose consumption in the second half of the year almost fully offset the absence of tourists.

    “All of these initiatives led to a full recovery in the second half to pre-pandemic profitability levels,” he said in a statement.

    The recovery in retail sales, which account for around 90% of Prada’s total, was driven in the second half by mainland China (+52%), Taiwan (+61%), Korea (+22%) and also by the Americas (+4%). Japan and Europe suffered from the lack of tourists and prolonged lockdowns.

    Full-year revenues fell by 24% to 2.42 billion euros ($2.9 billion) thanks to an improvement in the second half after a 40% slump in the first six months.

    Lockdown measures to stem the spread of coronavirus led to around 18% of the group’s store network being closed on average during the year and the restrictions also hit tourism.

    Earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) totalled 20 million euros in the full-year, following a 216 million euro EBIT in the second half, broadly in line with the same period of 2019, after a 196 million euros operating loss in the first six months.

    Analysts had expected revenues at 2.44 billion euros and an EBIT of 13.8 million, based on a Refinitiv analyst consensus.

    Analysts did not expected any dividends, but Prada’s board decide

  • Adidas expects strong rebound, takes Reebok hit

    Adidas expects strong rebound, takes Reebok hit

    German sportswear maker Adidas AG predicted a strong rebound in sales in 2021, particularly in China, the rest of Asia, and Latin America, although its profits will be trimmed by costs associated with divesting the Reebok brand.

    The outlook for 2021 is part of a five-year strategy that Adidas is due to present on Wednesday.

    Fourth-quarter sales rose a currency-neutral 1 percent to €5.55 billion ($6.59 billion), while operating profit slipped slightly to €225 million, ahead of the €5.47 billion and €202 million expected by analysts.

    About half of its stores were closed in Europe in the period, but online sales grew 43 percent.

    Now that more than 95 percent of its stores have reopened after lockdowns, Adidas expects sales growth at a mid-to high-teens rate on a currency-neutral basis in 2021, rising by up to 30 percent in greater China, the rest of Asia, and Latin America.

    Rival Puma said last month it expects the financial impact from lockdowns to last well into the second quarter but believes global growth in running should help to support a strong improvement after that.

    As part of its new strategy, Adidas will manage greater China as a separate market from the rest of Asia, and has integrated Europe, Russia and emerging markets into a new Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region.

    For EMEA, Adidas expects sales growth in the mid-to high-teens, but only a high-single-digit rate in North America.

    Net income from continuing operating is set to rise to between €1.25 billion and €1.45 billion.

    However, Adidas said it expects a hit of around €250 million to the operating profit level and €200 million to net income due to costs to set up Reebok as a stand-alone company, with a third of that in 2022, but none in 2023.

    Adidas said last month it plans to sell or spin-off the underperforming brand, 15 years after it bought the U.S. fitness label to help compete with arch-rival Nike Inc .

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  • Diesel Hub concept store opens in Shanghai

    Diesel Hub concept store opens in Shanghai

    Glenn Martens may still be prepping his debut collection for Diesel, but he’s already leaving his mark on the brand. The Belgian designer, who was tapped as the Italian brand’s creative director last October, has imagined a new store concept for Diesel, an immersive branding experience in itself.

    Painted floor-to-ceiling in the brand’s signature red color, the new concept is being introduced at two temporary pop-up stores in Amsterdam and on the outskirts of Washington, D.C., at the mall Tyson’s Corner Center.

    The company said it will be extended to other pop-up units and be flanked by experiential initiatives, and the concept will also appear in the first permanent unit, called Diesel Hub, that the brand will open in Shanghai later this year.

    “This new pop-up represents a first step toward elevating the design and brand experience of Diesel, starting from its iconicity and heritage,” said Massimo Piombini, Diesel’s chief executive officer. “It is a bridge to the new permanent store concept coming at the end of the year, starting from our Diesel Hub in Shanghai.”

    Paying homage to the brand’s DNA, Martens has had a giant Diesel logo and “For Successful Living” catchphrase brushed across the spaces’ elements, including displays and shelves, which customers will be able to read in their entirety upon entering the store, giving the impression of jumping into the brand’s tag.

    Both pop-ups will carry the spring 2021 and pre-fall 2021 assortments — which were not designed by Martens. Parent company OTB, controlled by Italian industrialist Renzo Rosso, recently said the first collection designed by Martens will bow for spring 2022.

    The Paris-based Martens arrived at Diesel nine months after Piombini, previously CEO of Balmain, was named CEO at Diesel, and amid brightening prospects for the flagship property of OTB.

    Rosso has had Martens on his radar for several years and tapped him in 2018 as a guest designer of its experimental capsule series Diesel Red Tag, one year after Martens bagged the prestigious ANDAM fashion prize, of which OTB is a historical sponsor and mentor.

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  • Ferragamo flags China-driven sales rise after massive loss last year

    Ferragamo flags China-driven sales rise after massive loss last year

    Italian luxury goods group Salvatore Ferragamo said on Tuesday that China and e-commerce had boosted sales in the year so far after the COVID-19 pandemic pushed the firm to its first full-year operating loss since it listed in Milan 10 years ago.

    Deputy Executive Chairman Michele Norsa, a long-time executive brought back by the Ferragamo family last year to steer the group through the pandemic and a brand revamp, told analysts in a call that he expected sales in China to keep growing by a double-digit percentage.

    The coronavirus emergency has hit Ferragamo hard because it is geared towards traveler spending, with many shops in airports. It has also compounded the challenge of rejuvenating a brand famous for shoes worn by Hollywood stars such as Audrey Hepburn.

    Overall sales fell 33% in 2020, one of the worst performances in an industry grappling with shop closures intended to curb the pandemic as well as a lack of tourists and travelers in general.

    Several sources told Reuters late last year that the majority owners had held informal talks with investors about selling a minority stake in their holding firm. The company denied at the time that the family planned to sell a stake or had met investors.

    Asia accounting for more than half of group revenues in 2020, when turnover in the region fell 25.5%.

    The Florence-based firm said the first nine weeks of 2021 had seen a positive trend in its retail network and an 86% jump in digital sales. China and Korea are both performing strongly, it said.

    Earnings before interests and taxes (EBIT) slumped to a 62 million euro ($74 million) loss in 2020, due also to impairment charges on assets and broadly in line with analysts’ expectations. In 2019, Ferragamo made a 150 million euro profit.

    Chief Executive Micaela Le Divelec’s term expires in April, and there is speculation that management may be overhauled.

    Two sources close to the matter said on Tuesday the situation was still uncertain in that respect.

    Norsa told analysts he could not comment on possible management changes, and that a “normal process” was taking place “in continuity and harmony” ahead of the annual meeting to appoint a new board of directors.

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  • Gap mulls sale of China business

    Gap mulls sale of China business

    Apparel retailer Gap is weighing options including a potential sale of its China business, citing people with knowledge of the matter.

    The report said the Old Navy parent was working with an adviser to explore its options and has contacted prospective suitors. It added there was a possibility that Gap could also keep the business.

    The company, owner of Banana Republic and Athleta brands, said it does not comment on rumors when contacted by Reuters.

    Gap entered the Chinese market about a decade ago, betting on rising incomes in the world’s second-largest economy to boost its sales. However, it stopped selling Old Navy apparel in the country last year to sharpen its focus on North America.

    Gap’s Asian market accounts for about 5 percent of its overall net sales, according to its latest regulatory filing. The company does not break out country-specific sales.

    Shares of Gap, up 43 percent this year, rose about 1 percent in extended trading after the report.

  • Fashion giant H&M pauses placing new orders in Myanmar

    Fashion giant H&M pauses placing new orders in Myanmar

    Sweden’s H&M, the world’s second-biggest fashion retailer, said on Monday it was shocked by the use of deadly force against protesters in Myanmar and that it had paused placing orders in the country.

    Police and military have killed more than 50 people to quell daily demonstrations and strikes against a Feb. 1 military coup, according to the United Nations last week.

    H&M has around 45 direct suppliers in Myanmar, it said on its website, and has sourced in the country for seven years.

    “Although we refrain from taking any immediate action regarding our long-term presence in the country, we have at this point paused placing new orders with our suppliers,” Serkan Tanka, Country Manager Myanmar, said in an email.

    “This is due to practical difficulties and an unpredictable situation limiting our ability to operate in the country, including challenges related to manufacturing and infrastructure, raw material imports, and transport of finished goods.”

    Two protesters were killed by gunshot wounds to the head in Myanmar on Monday, witnesses said, while shops, factories and banks were closed in the main city Yangon as part of the uprising against the country’s military rulers.

    Tanka said H&M was extremely concerned about the situation in the country and that it was in dialogue with UN agencies, diplomatic representatives, human rights experts, trade unions, and other multinational companies.

    “These consultations will guide us in any future decision in relation to how we as a company can best contribute to positive developments in accordance with the will of the people in Myanmar,” he said.

    Myanmar’s garment industry is smaller than that of neighboring countries Bangladesh, China and Thailand. However, its around 600 factories are significant employers, providing jobs for around 450,000 workers in 2020, according to the Myanmar Garment Manufacturers Association.

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  • Property deal set to save Le Saunda’s bottom line

    Property deal set to save Le Saunda’s bottom line

    Hong Kong-listed shoe retailer Le Saunda says same-store offline sales rose by 13.8 percent in the February quarter after it rationalized its store network.

    In a positive profit alert issued to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, chairman James Ngai said group sales rose 5.2 percent year on year after a net 52 stores closed in Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau. As at February 28, the company had 389 outlets remaining, 347 of them self-owned across the three markets, and 42 franchised on the mainland.

    The company said a preliminary review of its full-year accounts shows the company “may” have recorded a profit, which would mark a significant turnaround from a US$4.7 million loss in the prior year.

    However, that was mainly attributable to the completion of the effective sale of its former factory in Shunde, Guangdong which it closed last May, and reached an agreement with the local government to hand back for $30 million. Le Saunda made a strategic decision to discontinue manufacturing and to contract production out to third parties.

    While in-store sales are on the rise after several years of decline, Le Saunda’s e-commerce business continues to underperform, with sales down 8.4 percent year on year in the fourth quarter.

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