Retail News CRM

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.

  • Christian Louboutin showcasting Hong Kong boutique

    Christian Louboutin showcasting Hong Kong boutique

    Christian Louboutin has opened a new boutique in Landmark Prince’s, at Hong Kong’s Central.

    Inspired by the brand’s first boutique in Galerie Vero Dodat, the store facade features red-tiled walls with “petroleum-blue ceramics” and a Christian Louboutin neon sign. The storefront also houses displaying areas behind large glass windows, showing the brand’s latest products.

    The boutique’s interior is decorated in two main colors – red and blue. At the heart of the store is a blue display podium, showcasing women’s footwear.

    Two large red sofas create a lounge for customers with a flower-painted backdrop designed by French artist Alexandre Poulaillon.

    Meanwhile, the men’s room features gold-stained elements together with brown and beige wallpapers, aimed at creating a masculine vibe.

    The boutique reflects the Maison’s signature visual elements while nodding to the designer’s “creativity and eclectic aesthetic,” the company said in a statement.

    The label’s new capsule collection of Cabaraparis is available only at the Landmark Prince’s boutique.

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  • LA’s NYX Cosmetics closing in Hong Kong

    LA’s NYX Cosmetics closing in Hong Kong

    In an ongoing winding down of its Asian operations L’Oreal-owned NYX Cosmetics has announced in a Facebook post the pending closures of its stores across Hong Kong and Macau.

    The move follows the brand’s Malaysian exit and was described as part of a “business strategy readjustment”

    The brand entered Hong Kong three years ago and currently has six retail stores: three flagships in Sha Tin, Mong Kok and Tuen Muen, and three counters in department stores.

    The company has not given a definite date of the closures, but it advised loyal customers to redeem their membership points before September 15.

    So far, NYX does not have an online e-commerce presence in Hong Kong and Macau and it is not ranged by local marketplaces.

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  • Foot Locker establish presence in Macau

    Foot Locker establish presence in Macau

    Foot Locker has made its Macau debut with two stores opening this month.

    Located in Shoppes at the Parisian Macau, the Foot Locker’s first Macau store features a wide selection of footwear and apparel collections from different global brands, including Nike, Jordan, Adidas and Puma.

    “Opening our first store in Macau marks another milestone in our journey, where we aim to engage and inspire youth culture within the local community,” said Tomas Petersson, GM and VP at Foot Locker Asia.

    According to the company, Foot Locker’s second store in Macau is scheduled to launch later this month in The Shoppes at the Venetian Macau.

    Foot Locker operates 3129 retail stores across 27 markets across North America, Asia, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

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  • H&M suspends employees over use of racial slur

    H&M suspends employees over use of racial slur

    Fashion giant H&M says it has suspended a number of employees over the use of a racial slur relating to the name of a hat to be sold at stores of its & Other Stories brand.

    CNN Business, which first reported the incident, said that the slur, in an internal H&M document, related to a hat that appeared on a list of items and accessories to be sold in the autumn/winter collection.

    “We are deeply sorry to have discovered that one of our brands, & Other Stories, used a racist slur in an internal product overview,” H&M spokeswoman Ulrika Isaksson said in a written comment to Reuters.

    “We take the use of racially offensive language extremely seriously. While internal and external investigations are taking place, we have suspended the team and managers responsible for this area of the business.”

    H&M, the world’s second-biggest fashion retailer, did not say how many employees had been suspended.

    In 2018, the Swedish company was forced to apologize for an advert that was widely perceived as using racist language and in its statement on Thursday H&M acknowledged that it had “challenges with the diversity of some of our own teams”.

    It said it would also take further measures including specific targets for boosting diversity in its major markets by the end of 2020 and the creation of an external advisory council to consult on its business direction.

    According to H&M’s website, & Other Stories has 70 stores in 17 markets in Europe, the United States and Asia.

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  • Hong Kong DTC label Lane Eight launches sustainably made workout shoe

    Hong Kong DTC label Lane Eight launches sustainably made workout shoe

    Hong Kong-based DTC footwear start-up Lane Eight, has just released an all sustainable workout shoe range. Released in three colorways – Electric Neon, Cloud White and Lunar Grey – the brand’s signature AD 1 trainers have been redesigned with all-sustainable and recyclable materials comprising microfibre in replacement of suede; polyester yarn from 11 plastic bottles, and an algae-based midsole.

    With every pair of Lane Eight’s produced, 31.5 liters of freshwater are returned to the environment, and 64 cubic meters of carbon is removed from the atmosphere.

    Launched in 2017, the brand was conceived by James and Josh Shorrock, brothers with a background in Adidas product development and the Hypebeast editorial team. The digitally native brand holds a mass presence in the US and a growing following in Hong Kong, owing to its efforts in building partnerships with local fitness studios and influencers, alongside community workout events with customers.

    The omnichannel retailer currently has one physical brick-and-mortar store located on the trendy premises of Swire Properties-owned Star Street precinct in Wan Chai, its neighbors including lifestyle brands Monocle and Kapok. The store doubles as a distribution hub for online orders and a physical showroom for offline purchases.

    Highly coveted and with a long waitlist, the brand has upped its production and will be releasing new colors every month to meet the growing demand for the signature AD 1 trainers.

  • Adidas China sales goes flat but bright outlook

    Adidas China sales goes flat but bright outlook

    German sportswear firm Adidas says it expected a rebound in profits in the third quarter after it plunged to a big loss in the second quarter when the majority of its stores were closed due to coronavirus lockdowns.

    Adidas reported a second-quarter operating loss of US$396 million, worse than the $344 million expected by analysts on sales down 35 percent to $4.25 billion.

    The company said its sales were flat for the second quarter in China, however it saw double-digit growth in May and June.

    But CEO Kasper Rorsted said the company expects to benefit from more people exercising and dressing down with around three-quarters of companies planning to allow staff to continue to work from home.

    “The work environment will have changed forever,” he said, noting that sales of plastic slip-on Adilette bath sandals had tripled during the crisis.

    The loss included coronavirus-related charges of around $297 million, mainly due to an increase in inventory and bad-debt allowances, as well as the impairment of retail stores and the trademark of its struggling Reebok brand.

    Adidas expects a material improvement in third-quarter sales assuming there are no new major lockdowns, but still down on last year by a mid to high-single-digit rate.

    It sees an operating profit of between $712 million and $831 million in the period. The company declined to give an outlook for the full year.

    “We are now seeing the light at the end of the tunnel as the normalization in the physical business continues,” said Rorsted in a statement.

    E-commerce sales jumped 93 percent in the quarter and remained at a very high level even as stores started to reopen, with 92 percent already back in business, albeit with reduced opening hours.

    Rivals Nike and Puma also reported quarterly losses, while Nike saw a 75-per-cent rise in online sales.

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  • AmorePacific launches selected brands on Amazon

    AmorePacific launches selected brands on Amazon

    South Korean beauty group AmorePacific has launched two key brands on Amazon’s Premium Beauty store in the US as it looks to build its online presence. The beauty firm has introduced the AmorePacific and Mamonde brands on Amazon, including skincare and makeup.

    AmorePacific’s green tea skincare essentials – the Treatment Enzyme Peeling Cleansing Powder, Vintage Single Extract Essence, and Time Response Skin Reserve Creme.< “As the leader in Korean beauty, we are thrilled to collaborate and bring Korea’s best known, performance-driven brands to Amazon customers,” said Brian Lee, head of business development at AmorePacific US. “We strive for our portfolio of brands to continue significant growth in the digital space as more and more US customers pursue the convenience of online shopping.” The skincare and makeup range launched on Amazon include the AmorePacific’s Vintage Single Extract Essence and Mamonde’s Petal Spa Oil to Foam Cleanser. “AmorePacific’s brands cater to US customers’ continued enthusiasm for premium skincare with natural ingredients, as well as their latest interest in beauty routines as a form of self-care,” the company said in a statement.

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  • Ralph Lauren revenue deep in red

    Ralph Lauren revenue deep in red

    Ralph Lauren Corp said on Tuesday its quarterly revenue plunged by nearly US$1 billion, as it struggled with coronavirus-led store closures and a slowdown in demand for luxury goods across the world.

    The big drop in revenue and a larger-than-expected loss pushed shares of the New York-based fashion house down nearly 7 percent in trading before the bell.

    The company’s revenue slumped 77 percent in North America, with analysts saying demand for high-end handbags, apparel and accessories is not expected to rebound quickly as the global economy enters a recession.

    Ralph Lauren is more exposed to the health crisis than other apparel companies as its jackets, coats and dresses are designed for social or formal occasions, said Neil Saunders, managing director of research firm GlobalData Retail.

    “While some customers have been prepared to pay premium dollars for luxury apparel, many middle-income shoppers have de-prioritized their spending on clothing in favor of spending on the home – an area where Ralph Lauren does play, but not nearly as strong as it should,” Saunders said.

    Ralph Lauren’s net revenue fell 66 percent to $487.5 million, missing analysts’ average estimate of $615 million, according to IBES data from Refinitiv.

    Sales at European luxury goods giants LVMH , Kering and Hermes fell between 38 percent and 44 percent – much slower than those posted by the company.

    Ralph Lauren also reported a mere 3-per-cent rise in North American online sales, a far cry from triple-digit sales increases recorded by a number of US retailers.

    The company reported a net loss of $127.7 million in the quarter to June 27, compared with a profit of $117.1 million, or $1.47 per share, a year earlier.

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  • Hugo Boss China sales up again last June

    Hugo Boss China sales up again last June

    Hugo Boss sales returned to strong growth in China in June and global online sales jumped 74 percent in the second quarter, even as the German fashion house reported an overall 59-per-cent fall in sales for the period due to lockdowns.

    Analysts at Baader Helvea noted the company was particularly exposed as people have been shifting to more casual wear during the coronavirus pandemic, cutting demand for the smart suits for which it is particularly known.

    Hugo Boss reported quarterly revenue of €275 million, missing an average analyst forecast for €288 million, while its operating loss of €124 million euros was ahead of consensus for a loss of €133 million.

    The company said it had seen a less pronounced fall in sales of casual wear and “athleisure” than in formal wear, with products like T-shirts, polo shirts, trousers and loungewear proving their resilience.

    Hugo Boss is currently led by finance chief Yves Mueller after Mark Langer stepped down as CEO. Daniel Grieder, the former CEO of Tommy Hilfiger Global & PVH Europe, is due to take over as CEO on June 1, next year.

    Hugo Boss China sales rose by 4 percent in the quarter, including double-digit growth in June, a similar trend to that reported by LVMH , the world’s biggest luxury goods group, which said last week that momentum had especially improved in China.

    By contrast, sales fell 59 percent in Europe and 82 percent in the Americas, with unrest and demonstrations in the US in May and June putting more strain on its business.

    The company expects a gradual improvement for the second half of this year, but declined to provide a full-year forecast.

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  • Uniqlo same-store sales up 4 percent in July on stay-at-home demand

    Uniqlo same-store sales up 4 percent in July on stay-at-home demand

    Casual fashion brand Uniqlo’s Japanese same-store sales rose 4 percent year on year in July as consumers stocked up on comfortable “stay at home” clothes amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, its owner, Fast Retailing Co, said.

    The rise in domestic same-store sales, including online purchases, followed a 26-per-cent jump in June, which came after a three-month slump when the coronavirus outbreak kept shoppers at home and tourists away.

    “Stay at home demand” lifted July sales, with items such as stretchy jogging pants and oversized T-shirts proving popular, the company said.

    Analysts have said Uniqlo’s focus on practical, everyday clothes rather than more on-trend fashion may help it weather the coronavirus downturn better than global peers.

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  • Football club PSG opens retail store in South Korea

    Football club PSG opens retail store in South Korea

    Football club PSG has become the first European side to open a retail outlet in Seoul, South Korea’s capital city.

    The new store – which is described as a pop-up but looks rather long-term to us – was organized with local football magazine Over the Pitch. It will sell a range of branded goods, including food-and-beverage items, sports products, and entertainment, with a number of exclusive items available only at Seoul.

    “Seoul has long been a key target city for Paris Saint-Germain, a core pillar of our international strategy, and so we are thrilled today to step up our commitment to the market and become the first European club to launch an official store in Korea, with this innovative retail concept,” said the club’s head of diversification and merchandising Fabien Allegre.

    “Seoul and Paris go hand in hand as two iconic cities, and we enjoyed our successful collaboration with Over the Pitch during our previous PSG tour in Miami.”

    The venue, which opened last week, includes the licensed store, a themed cafe, and a display of the team’s football jerseys.

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  • Jason Wu opens first store in Shanghai

    Jason Wu opens first store in Shanghai

    Taiwanese-Canadian designer Jason Wu has opened his first global flagship boutique in Shanghai, China.

    Located at IFC Mall, the flagship store features a sophisticated design created by architect Andre Mellone. The studio previously designed a Jason Wu shop-in-shop at Saks Fifth Avenue in New York and the Jason Wu fragrance bottle.

    The store facade features a floor-to-ceiling glass wall and a digital screen illustrating the brand’s name. Gold color and marble patterns are used liberally in the Jason Wu boutique’s design such as gold metal racks and frames, gold rose marble walls, and marble display tables.

    A black wooden table and a large carpet are placed at the store’s center.

    The Jason Wu Shanghai boutique houses a wide range of fashion items and fragrances.

    Jason Wu is known for designing dresses worn by former First Lady Michelle Obama on several occasions, including those worn during the first and second inauguration of her husband, President Barack Obama.

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  • Burberry teams with Tencent to launch world-first social-retail store

    Burberry teams with Tencent to launch world-first social-retail store

    Luxury fashion label Burberry has teamed with technology giant Tencent to launch its first social retail store in Shenzhen, China. Located in the new Shenzhen Bay MixC development, the Burberry social store features a unique design with a variety of materials and textures ranging from plywood to mirror and high-gloss finishes. Occupying a 539sqm area, the storehouses 10 different rooms.

    The Burberry social store offers a wide range of items including the brand’s latest collections and pieces exclusive to the Shenzhen store. All the stock is labeled with QR codes which when scanned show information on the customer’s digital screen. This is the brand’s first store to have QR codes on product swing tags.

    When entering the store, customers are welcomed by an interactive window. Inspired by the brand’s mirrored runway, the window illustrates the visitors’ shape and response to body movement. The window changes through the seasons to reflect the latest collections and house codes.

    Burberry’s fitting rooms feature three different concepts reflecting the label’s house codes – the Burberry Animal Kingdom, Reflections, and the Thomas Burberry Monogram.

    Named after the fashion house’s founder, Thomas’s Cafe features a modern yet elegant design with high-gloss tones of beige, curtains, and chamfered mirroring. The cafe can be converted into a community space for social events such as workshops, exhibitions, and live performances.

    The social store also houses a Trench Experience space, designed with digital technology to “bring Burberry’s heritage of exploration to life and creating unique and personal content for the customer to share on social media”.

    “This store explores this relationship, blending the digital and the physical realms in an exciting new concept,” said Riccardo Tisci, chief creative officer at Burberry.

    “I wanted to bring this love of the outdoors to life through all the elements of the store, which can be seen in the Burberry Animal Kingdom prints in the cafe as well as in the fully immersive Trench Experience and even in the small details of the design materials. I really wanted to draw upon these familiar house codes to bring our community together in an interactive journey of discovery,” Tisci said.

    “When it came to innovating around social and retail, China was the obvious place to go to, as home to some of the most digitally savvy luxury customers,” said Marco Gobbetti, CEO at Burberry.

    The Burberry social retail store offers an interactive experience through Tencent’s WeChat mini program which allows customers to unlock exclusive content and personalized experiences.

    “… Burberry’s social retail store in Shenzhen is a place of discovery that connects and rewards customers as they explore online and in-store. It marks a shift in how we engage with our customers and we can’t wait to share this innovative experience with the world,” Gobbetti said.

    The mini-program also provides a platform where customers can explore the store and product, book in-store appointments, and reserve events or tables in the Thomas cafe and community space.

    The WeChat mini program also features a rewards program called “social currency” where customers are allocated characters and can engage with others. Customers can unlock exclusive content and personalized experiences by building their social currency. Rewards range from cafe menu items to mini-program content.

    The Burberry social retail store is a unique space to test and learn, and to trial innovation that can be expanded to the rest of the Burberry network in China, the company said in a statement.

    Burberry signed an exclusive partnership agreement with Tencent last year to develop social retail in China. The Shenzhen social store is the first step in the partnership, taking interactions from social media into a physical retail environment.

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  • Nike opens House of Innovation in Paris, France

    Nike opens House of Innovation in Paris, France

    Nike has opened the brand’s largest House of Innovation yet, in Paris, focusing on delivering a digital retail experience. Located at number 79 on the famous Avenue des Champs-Elysees, the House of Innovation 002 spans four floors and occupies a 2400sqm area.

    According to the company, Nike Paris will focus on four areas: uniting shoppers to a global sports community, innovative services and products for women, more kids’ experiences and seamless end-to-end consumer experience.

    “When consumers step into Nike Paris, they will experience our largest, most digitally connected and immersive retail concept in the world,” said Heidi O’Neill, president of consumer and marketplace.

    The House of Innovation in Paris features a wall-to-wall installation called Mission Control, connecting customers to the global sports community.

    Female shoppers can receive a fit recommendation using Nike Fit technology for any of its bras and information on their precise shape can be saved for future store visits.

    Nike Paris houses a destination for kids called Kids Pod, featuring interactive gaming and trial station such as a 360 virtual runners experience inspired by Parkour.

    “The strength of our digital portfolio combined with product innovation and amazing physical spaces will connect members to the community of sport and to one-of-a-kind experiences, serving them in an incredibly personal way,” O’Neill said.

    At the House of Innovation Paris, more than 85,000kg of sustainable material is woven into the fabric of the store design and display fixtures. The store is fuelled by a clean-energy wind farm in Spain.

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  • Champion lifting off with sustainable streetwear collection

    Champion lifting off with sustainable streetwear collection

    Athletic apparel brand Champion is to launch a sustainable streetwear collection Re:Bound next month.

    Champion’s Re:Bound Collection will feature a streetwear line made from recycled Reverse Weave fabric, normally discarded during production. According to the company, 45 percent of pre-consumer recycled cotton has been turned into high-quality apparel products for the range.

    The manufacturing process involves three stages: Rescue Waste, Recycle and Rope Dye.

    As part of the launch, Champion invited two Australian influencers and up-cyclers, Philip O’Donahoo and Jaida The Creator, to star in a promotion campaign.

    “Pioneering products is our legacy. Protecting the planet is our long game,” the company said in a statement. “Re:Bound is our first step, and we’re just getting started.”

    The Re:Bound collection is scheduled to launch on August 4.

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