Retail News CRM

Tag: China

  • China’s Yili to acquire American yogurt brand for US$850 million

    China’s Yili to acquire American yogurt brand for US$850 million

    Chinese dairy company Yili is bidding to buy Stonyfield, one of the top organic yogurt manufacturers in the U.S. and a holding subsidiary of the French dairy giant Danone.

    Stonyfield was founded in 1983 and Danone started purchasing Stonyfield shares from 2001 and gradually controlled the company. In 2016, Stonyfield’s turnover was about US$370 million and its net profit was US$50 million.

    On March 31, 2017, Danone said that to accelerate its acquisition of WhiteWave, an American dairy and organic food maker, the company would sell its American subsidiary Stonyfield. This is a part of the antitrust agreement reached between Danone and U.S. Department of Justice in order to complete the WhiteWave acquisition. On April 13, 2017, Danone announced the completion of the WhiteWave acquisition.

    Yili reportedly offered to buy Stonyfield for US$850 million. Yili’s competitors include American local dairy maker Dean Foods.

  • Walmart Is Crushing Amazon in China

    Walmart Is Crushing Amazon in China

    Shares of Walmart gained more than 3% on Thursday after the company posted better-than-expected earnings results. Despite a brutal industry landscape, America’s largest brick-and-mortar retailer is thriving thanks to its success in key segments.

    One of the biggest takeaways from Walmart’s latest report is the growth of its e-commerce unit. In an effort to catch up to internet behemoth Amazon.com, Walmart has been pouring money into e-commerce, and it seems to be working. The company said that its e-commerce business saw gross merchandise volume skyrocket 69% in the first quarter.

    Of course, Walmart can never hope to overtake Amazon as the e-commerce king. Amazon has had that crown for over a decade, and although Walmart’s recent online push has been a success, it was basically a do-or-die situation if the company wanted to maintain any legitimacy as a retail giant.

    However, there are still several key emerging markets for e-commerce, and Walmart may just be dominating Amazon in the biggest of them all: China.

    Sure, China isn’t really an emerging market anymore, and the country is no stranger to e-commerce. If anything, its domestic online retailers, such as Alibaba, present a threat to Walmart and Amazon as they move into Western markets.

    Nevertheless, China is a relatively fresh market for American online retailers, and Amazon is really just starting to get a foothold in the nation of nearly 1.4 billion. In fact, Amazon Prime debuted in the country only seven months ago. At launch, Prime members in China could expect to get there packages in about 5 to 9 days.

    And after Walmart’s earnings call earlier today, it looks like Amazon’s efforts in China might be futile.

    According to Walmart chief executive Doug McMillon, the company recently started offering one-hour delivery service from 80 stores in China. The service is an extension of Walmart’s existing partnership with JD.com —the two companies previously debuted a two-hour delivery service last year.

    “We can see the benefits of omni-channel retail even more clearly in China than any other country where we operate. Given the urban density and automobile traffic challenges, stores serve the triple purpose of in-store shopping, pickup and delivery most effectively,” said

    JD.com falls behind Alibaba in terms of size, making it the second-largest Chinese e-commerce company. The Walmart-JD partnership was announced last summer, and JD now controls all of Walmart’s e-commerce operations in the country.

    Interestingly enough, Walmart does not currently offer a one-hour delivery service anywhere in the U.S. Amazon does have a pretty well-established same-day delivery network, but it will be interesting to see if Walmart’s success in China inspires the company to make a similar play here on its home turf.

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  • Yum China buys Chinese food delivery company

    Yum China buys Chinese food delivery company

    Yum China is betting that more consumers will continue to order Pizza Hut and KFC food via their smartphones for speedy delivery to their homes and work.

    Yum China Holdings Inc is buying a controlling interest in online food delivery company Daojia.com.cn for an undisclosed sum.

    Founded in 2010, Daojia.com.cn is an online food delivery service provider focused on higher-end orders in major cities in China, including Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Guangzhou. It also operates food delivery service Sherpa’s, and has partnered with over 6,000 brands and restaurants, providing services for over one million family customers.

    China Money Network reports that Daojia.com.cn previously raised a US$2 million series A round from Morningside Venture Capital in 2010. It secured a US$7.5 million series B round from CDH Investments in 2011, and completed a US$10 million series C round led by JD.com Inc and Morningside in 2013.

    In 2014, the company received a US$50 million series D round led by JD.com and Macquarie Group, according to its website.

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  • Alibaba posts strongest sales quarter since 2014 IPO, helped by China’s online shoppers

    Alibaba posts strongest sales quarter since 2014 IPO, helped by China’s online shoppers

    Alibaba Group’s 2016 net profit missed analysts’ estimates, even as revenue soared to a record, as a larger tax bill and investments in cloud computing weighed on results and crimped income from China’s growing preference for online shopping.

    Net income fell 42 per cent to 41.23 billion yuan in the year ended March 31, even as revenue jumped 56 per cent to 158.27 billion yuan (US$22.96 billion). Fourth-quarter profit jumped 85 per cent to 9.85 billion yuan, while sales soared 60 per cent to 38.58 billion yuan in the same period.

    Alibaba’s shares fell for the second day after results were announced, dropping as much as 5.6 per cent to an intraday low of US$114 in New York trading.

    “The core metrics that we care about in terms of segment results show very good momentum across the board”. “Some non-operating lines pinched the earnings and that’s likely what the stock’s reacting to, but there’s lots of variability and lack of predictability that make it difficult for analysts to understand what contributions and other income might come from ads.”

    China’s embrace of the smartphone in the past decade – as well as economic activities related to the internet – has turned Alibaba, Tencent Holdings and other Chinese technology companies into some of the largest enterprises in the industry. Tencent, operator of China’s biggest social network, reported a 55 per cent jump in first-quarter sales on Wednesday.

    “We reported another excellent quarter, with revenue growth accelerating to 60 per cent, the highest growth rate we’ve achieved since our IPO,” Alibaba’s chief financial officer Maggie Wu said in a phone conference announcing the Hangzhou-based company’s results.

    Alibaba, which also owns the South China Morning Post, operates four major business segments, divided into e-commerce, digital media and entertainment, innovation initiatives and cloud computing.

    The company, whose Singles’ Day on November 11 every year is the biggest online shopping festival on earth, reported 3.8 trillion yuan of gross merchandise volume last year. Up to 507 million customers used Alibaba’s China retail platforms on their mobile devices in March, an increase of 14 million from December.

    “The traditional thinking that pits e-commerce against physical commerce no longer holds,” said Alibaba’s co-founder and executive vice chairman Joseph Tsai Chung-hsin. “The distinction between online and offline retail is going away because of the mobile phone. Traditional commerce is buying stuff on a desktop computer, but Chinese consumers now have mobile phones which allow them to buy anything, anytime, anywhere.”

    The number of paying customers in cloud computing rose 14 per cent during the quarter. Still, the company made an operating loss of 505 million yuan in cloud computing during the three months.

    Alibaba has been making large investments into its digital media and entertainment businesses to compete with Tencent and Baidu for a share of the digital content market.

    In October 2016, Alibaba’s film production arm Alibaba Pictures invested in Hollywood director Steven Spielberg’s production company Amblin Partners to produce, distribute and market films both in China and around the world. Alibaba’s founder and chairman Jack Ma Yun has also said that the firm will invest 50 billion yuan over the next three years in Hollywood films.

    The segment reported a loss of 9.9 billion yuan for the year, more than double the 4.1 billion yuan loss a year earlier.

    “In the near term, there will be fierce competition for licensed content [in the entertainment market], but like other players we have moved to develop proprietary content,” Tsai said. “ Over time, the cost of content should come down.”

    Alibaba’s stock has risen 52 per cent in 12 months, boosting the company’s market value to exceed US$300 billion, in the process making Ma the wealthiest man in China, according to a Forbes ranking.

    The company, which operates the Taobao and Tmall platforms, announced a US$6 billion share buyback programme over two years.

    “Alibaba’s Taobao platform is a clear leader in the C2C e-commerce sector, and its Tmall platform is the largest player in the B2C e-commerce sector in 2016 with a 57.5 per cent market share, followed by JD’s 26.2 per cent and VIPShop’s 3.6 per cent share,” Nomura’s analyst Shi Jialong wrote in a research note before the company released its results.

    The Chinese e-commerce giant has also set its sights on expanding globally. In March, Alibaba and the Malaysian government jointly launched the first electronic world trade platform (EWTP) in Malaysia, an internet-based platform that will allow small and medium-sized businesses in Malaysia and China to trade with each other.

    “Internationalisation is a core strategy [for Alibaba] for the next five to 10 years, and we are happy to see concrete progress in Southeast Asia,” said chief executive Daniel Zhang, adding that Singapore-based e-commerce platform Lazada has seen its business grow “very well” since Alibaba’s US$1 billion investment in the company last year.

    Alibaba decided to focus on Southeast Asia as the first step to internationalisation because it is an “important region” with a large population, according to Zhang. “Chinese products are very popular in this market. We will continue to invest in international markets but there is still a long way to go,” he said.

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  • Starbucks gets boost in China with Wechat partnership

    Starbucks gets boost in China with Wechat partnership

    CEO of Starbucks China, Belinda Wong hailed last week the success seen in the company’s China business after teaming up with social media and payment platform WeChat.

    “Partner and customer enthusiasm for the Starbucks brand and the momentum in Starbucks China business have never been greater,” Wong said. “We saw growth in all categories and dayparts. Beverage, food and digital innovation are laser-focused on operational excellence, and targeted brand investments are attracting new customers into our stores and bringing existing customers in more often.”

    Sales for China grew 7% in the first quarter of the year, following a strategic partnership with WeChat parent company Tencent, which was launched last December.

    “Following on that success, in February this year, we launched social gifting to unprecedented customer demand, partner excitement and social media interest. In only the first seven weeks after launch, over 1.2 million gifts were sent and over half have been redeemed by recipients in our stores.”

    China is the company’s second biggest and fastest growing international market.

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  • China’s retail sales up 10.7 pct in April

    China’s retail sales up 10.7 pct in April

    China’s retail sales, a key indicator of consumption, grew 10.7 percent year on year in April, 0.2 percentage points slower than the March level, official data showed Monday.

    Total retail sales of consumer goods hit 2.73 trillion yuan (about 395.4 billion U.S. dollars) last month, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). It increased 0.79 percent month on month.

    In the first four months, total retail sales of consumer goods rose 10.2 percent year on year, 0.2 percentage points faster than the growth in the first quarter, according to Xing Zhihong, a spokesperson with the NBS.

    Consumption activities were relatively stronger in rural areas, with retail sales expanding 12.6 percent in April, outpacing urban areas, where retail sales climbed 10.4 percent year on year.

    Online spending was robust. From January to April, online retail sales surged 32 percent year on year to 1.92 trillion yuan.

    Xing said the April figure indicates continued expansion of domestic consumer demand, which was partly driven by consumption upgrades and new business patterns such as online sales.

    China is trying to shift its economy toward a growth model driven by consumer spending, innovation and services, while weaning it off reliance on exports and investment.

    China’s economy expanded at a 6.9-percent pace in the first quarter, accelerating from 6.8 percent in the previous quarter, and 77.2 percent of it was driven by consumption, 12.6 percentage points higher than the 2016 level, according to official data.

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  • Peak Sport first Chinese firm to release 3D sneakers

    Peak Sport first Chinese firm to release 3D sneakers

    Sports brand Peak has released its first 3D printed running shoes in Beijing, the first-ever Chinese firm to successfully launch the innovative sneakers.

    Dubbed ‘Future I’, the sneakers are being sold on local e-commerce platform Tmall for RMB1299 (US$188).

    The 3D printed running shoes are based on the most popular Peak FLY V, with 3D printed technology applied to achieve technological innovation. Promoting comfort and breathability, the shoes are made with a special lattice structure insole made via 3D technology.

    In a press release, Peak said its “SLS laser sintering technology shapes the shoes with the more elastic TPU, to ensure the lightness and flexibility… bringing an extraordinary and excellent wearing experience.”

    Peak brought in 3D printing technology in 2013, and over the past 5 years, the firm has used 3D printing technology to produce shoe molds to make 3D printed versions to create exclusive design for athletes such as NBA player Dwight Howard.

    This latest design feat crowns Peak’s design efforts, and harks a promising future in innovative sportswear.

    “This pair of 3D printed shoes is Peak’s latest outcome of Peak Innovation Strategy, our goal is to build Peak as the most international, professional and innovative sports brand in China,” said Zhihua Xu, general manger of Peak Sport.

    Peak owns five research and technology centres in Beijing, Guangzhou, Quanzhou, Xiamen and Los Angeles, with 200 staff across all campuses.

    Based on 3D printed technology, Peak’s ‘Longji’ running shoes were awarded first prize in the first China Industrial Design Competition.

    “In the future, Peak will insist on technological innovation research and release more professional sports products to meet the mass requirements, and become the leading sports brand,” added Zhihua Xu.

    Peak is the third sports brand to release and sell 3D printed running shoes after Adidas and Under Armour.

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  • Demand from China, Africa supports Vietnamese rice prices at harvest end

    Demand from China, Africa supports Vietnamese rice prices at harvest end

    Vietnamese rice is being offered at around $35-$40 a ton below Thai grain. China and several African countries have returned to Vietnam seeking fragrant and white rice, and the demand has helped stabilize export prices even though supply has risen at the end of a major harvest, traders said on Friday.

    They also said Vietnamese rice being offered for cheaper prices than Thai and Indian rice has also attracted buyers, mostly from Africa. Vietnam is the world’s third-largest rice exporter, behind India and Thailand.

    Farmers in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam’s food basket, have finished harvesting the winter-spring crop, the biggest of the country’s three annual crops. Paddy output eased 2 percent from last year to an estimated 9.8 million tons, based on government statistics. Most of the grain from this crop is being exported.

    Reuters cited Vietnamese traders’ quotations for five percent broken rice showing prices rose this week to $355-$360 a ton, free on board (FOB) basis, on more active trade.

    At $360 a ton, the price is at its highest since August 31, 2016.

    But traders at foreign firms and a dealer at a state-run export company in Ho Chi Minh City told VnExpress International that exporters are looking to sell the grade at around $355 a ton, while bids stood at $350-$352 a ton, similar to last week.

    “Rice exports to China are going well,” the dealer said. “Africa is also coming back with inquiries for the 5-percent and the 15 percent broken varieties, as well as fragrant rice.”

    He added that ample supplies are now available to state-owned export firms that have better access to bank loans, while private exporters are struggling to build stock due to weaker finances.

    Vietnamese prices are below those offered by Thailand, where the 5-percent broken rice rose this week to $387-$392 a ton, FOB basis, from $380-$390 last week and $360-$375 at the end of April due to loading demand during a slow off-season harvest, Reuters cited Thai traders in Bangkok as saying.

    Traders noted China, the biggest buyer of Vietnamese rice, has been taking more of the grain in the past month.

    China imported 288,000 tons of rice from Vietnam in April, way above the monthly average of 176,000 tons in the first quarter, Vietnam Customs data showed.

    That brought Vietnam’s total export volume to China in the January-April period to 815,000 tons, a rise of 16 percent from a year ago, based on data from the Finance Ministry-run customs agency.

    Earlier this year, China approved 22 Vietnamese rice export firms as official suppliers, but is also trying to limit rice purchases across the land border with Vietnam.

    China is projected to import 5 million tons of rice this year, up 8.7 percent from 2016, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said.

    Vietnam is forecast to export 5.6 million tons in 2017, up 10 percent from last year, the USDA said in a report on Wednesday.

    The USDA also forecasts both India and Thailand will export around double that amount this year.

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  • AirAsia to launch new Chinese low cost carrier

    AirAsia to launch new Chinese low cost carrier

    AirAsia signed a joint venture agreement with China on Sunday to establish a low cost carrier (LCC), with a base in the east-central city of Zhengzhou. AirAsia (China) is a joint venture between AirAsia, Everbright Group and Henan Government Working Group, the airline said in a statement.

    AirAsia (China) will also invest in aviation infrastructure, including a dedicated LCC terminal at Zhengzhou airport and an aviation academy to train pilots, crew and engineers, as well as maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facilities to service aircraft, the statement said.

    No further details of the LCC were provided.

    Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who is on a visit to China, witnessed the signing of the joint venture agreement.

    “This Chinese venture represents the final piece of the AirAsia puzzle,” said AirAsia Group CEO Tan Sri Tony Fernandes.

    “In just 16 years, we have successfully built a presence in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, India and Japan, with China closing the loop on all major territories in Asia Pacific.”

    AirAsia and AirAsia X currently fly to 15 destinations in China and the group is the largest foreign LCC operating into the country.

  • Gogoboi teams up with foreign brands to sell luxury on WeChat

    Gogoboi teams up with foreign brands to sell luxury on WeChat

    There is no need to elaborate on the importance of Chinese fashion bloggers in educating affluent consumers on the latest fashion trends and luxury items. For international luxury brands that hope to gain a share in China’s competitive retail scene, the real challenge for them is how they can best use these bloggers’ online fame to boost their sales prospects.

    A recent collaboration between Thomas Ye Shi, aka Gogoboi, and a number of Western luxury e-commerce sites and department stores may offer a clue. Last week, Gogoboi announced the official launch of his WeChat boutique, called “Bu Da Jing Xuan (不大精选)”, on his WeChat account. This is not the first time that he has turned the app into a mobile store. Gogoboi sold lifestyle products, such as Gucci fragrances and Keecie bags, to his followers in the past.

    The new boutique that will sell a curated selection of luxury goods, however, creates a new business model that is different from Gogoboi’s previous partnerships with a variety of monobrands. The blogger said in a statement that all of the products on his Bu Da Jing Xuan WeChat store would come from international luxury e-commerce retailers including Yoox, Net-A-Porter, Farfetch, Revolve, Mytheresa.com, and SSENSE, as well as department stores such as Harrods and Luisa Via Roma.

    As China’s top fashion blogger on Weibo according to an Exane BNP Paribas ranking, Gogoboi built up his fame with his harsh and acerbic comments on Chinese celebrities’ fashion tastes and luxury apparel. His sharp personality, which is deemed as candid and humorous by many Chinese online users, has helped him quickly gain a significant following on both Weibo and WeChat. This has led many prestigious luxury brands, such as Louis Vuitton and Fendi, to come to him to form partnerships in recent years, which in turn, boosted his popularity further among the luxury and fashion circles.

    Gogoboi has more than 7 million followers on Weibo and the viewership of his posts on WeChat can exceed 100,000 on average. The blogging style of Gogoboi has changed significantly as he has become more famous and developed closer relationships with brands. He is now much less harsh than he was before.

    On WeChat, his posts embrace a wide range of topics to cater to different interests and tastes of readers, which include fashion trends, popular luxury items, mix-and-match tips as well as celebrity gossip. As an opinion leader in this field, luxury items that get mentioned and recommended by Gogoboi have great potential to become the most coveted products among Chinese affluent consumers.

    As a result, the new WeChat boutique that supports a “see now, buy now” model is a smart way for international luxury e-commerce retailers to connect with wealthy consumers directly. As readers go through Gogoboi’s articles on WeChat, they can directly place an order for the items they like. The mobile store also promises customer service from 8 am to midnight everyday. To celebrate the launch, consumers currently can get a 15 percent discount on Yoox products.

    The transparency and authenticity supported by Gogoboi’s new business can also pose a challenge to the daigou market in China, which is good news for luxury brands that have been plagued by this issue for years. As shown in the image above, Gogoboi will list the official sources of each product along with the shipping and customs information on the app. In contrast, Chinese daigou dealers tend to be vague and opaque about this information.

    In addition, the pricing of Gogoboi’s products (excluding shipping and customs costs) is sometimes even lower than the prices on the original websites. For example, Jimmy Choo’s Petite Locket Shoulder Bag (image above) costs 8,729 RMB (approximately US$1,268) on Gogoboi’s WeChat store, while it is sold for $US1,350 on Farfetch.

    With all of the benefits and potential of this WeChat store, Gogoboi’s new business does not come without challenges. It remains to be seen how the sales will perform in the next couple of months and whether it can offer affluent Chinese consumers with a smooth cross-border shopping experience. Gogoboi’s position is also not irreplaceable—it’s very possible that blogger competition like Mr. Bags and Shi Liu Po Report could put a greater emphasis on e-commerce in the future.

  • JD.com swings to profit first, revenues surge 41%

    JD.com swings to profit first, revenues surge 41%

    E-commerce giant JD.com said on Monday first-quarter revenues lifted 41% for fiscal 2017, as the second-biggest online retailer in China recorded its first profit as a publicly listed company.

    JD.com reported net income of 239 million yuan ($35 million) for the three months ended March — its first time in the black since listing in 2014. Sales rose 41 percent to 76.2 billion yuan, also topping the 73.6 billion yuan projected.

    JD, which bought Walmart’s Yihaodian local shopping platform in 2016, saw a rapid expansion into household supplies and food, as well as fashion and homewares during the last quarter, which increased users.

    JD also dipped into data, cloud and artificial intelligence services – moves that saw it swing to a profit from a loss in the previous quarter.

    “Margins benefited from our rapidly growing scale across all of our product categories,” JD’s chief financial officer, Sidney Huang, said in a statement.

    In November, JD.com said that it would seek to split off JD Finance, its financial unit, making it a fully Chinese-owned entity. The move allows JD to apply for licenses that Chinese laws forbid foreign-listed firms from holding, including mutual funds and securities. Under the restructuring, CEO Richard Liu will be one of the buyers and JD.com will receive 40% of any pre-tax profit.

    In the financial statement, JD forecast second-quarter revenues to lie between 86.6-89.1 million yuan excluding JD Finance, representing a growth rate of 33-37%, in line with analyst predictions of 36%.

    However, Huang cautioned future investments, such as the construction of warehouses, would “significantly increase” capital expenditure resulting in falling free cash flow.

    “Our quarterly earnings will likely be lower in one or more of the next few quarters,” he said. “The Chinese e-commerce market remains highly competitive and we remain committed to returning a meaningful portion of our incremental gains from scaled economies onto our customers.”

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  • Pandora grows in China and Australia

    Pandora grows in China and Australia

    Jewellery giant Pandora had a good Q1, the Danish firm said Tuesday, with revenue from its owned retail stores leaping ahead, although not every market was buoyant.

    While the company saw strength in France and Italy, and Asia Pacific surged due to Chinese grwoth, the Americas saw a decline and the UK was hurt by the falling value of the pound.

    So, let’s look at the numbers. Overall revenue rose 9% to DKK5.196bn (£589m) and was up 8% in local currencies. Pandora’s owned retail stores saw revenue surging 39% to now make up 38% of group sales. Comparable sales in Pandora’s own stores rose 8%.

    Revenue from the EMEA region rose 5%, or 9% in local currencies, boosted by those higher sales in France and Italy but dented by that UK weakness.

    A strong performance in important growth markets such as China in Asia Pacific saw revenue rising 44% (40% in local currencies) with the region now accounting for 25% of group revenue.

    But the Americas decreased 5% (or an even worse 9% in local currencies), including a negative impact from network restructuring in the US.

    The company said its ambitions to offer a full jewellery line-up are progressing with revenue from rings, earrings and necklaces/pendants all up more than 40% and with the three categories now representing 25% of total revenue

    That all added up to higher profits as EBITDA rose 7% to DKK1.879bn, although the gross margin was 73.3%, down from 74.6% a year ago as it was hurt by currency headwinds and the product mix.

    CEO Anders Colding Friis said he was ‘satisfied” with the results, and “very pleased” with the performance in its important growth markets. “Some of our most developed markets continue to perform,” he said, adding that revenue from Australia up 27% but that the retail climate in the US remains difficult.

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  • Laneige opens first flagship store in Beijing

    Laneige opens first flagship store in Beijing

    Cosmetics brand Laneige opened its first brand image concept flagship store at Beijing apm.

    With an area of 139 square meters, Laneige’s new flagship store at apm features the design elements of water and light and the base tone of its overall internal design is blue and pink, which highlights the two product lines of Laneige. Blue represents skin care and it emphasizes water technologies; while pink represents the company’s makeup products series.

    In addition, the store uses popular geometric line elements and spotlights in the display area, aiming to attract young customers.

    There is an exclusive beauty class area in the store and it will hold regular activities for members of Laneige, including brand introductions, new product launches, and popular makeup tutorials. In this area, Laneige will also provide afternoon tea appointment services to VIP customers.

    Moreover, the Beijing apm Laneige flagship store will provide exclusive limited products which are only available in flagship stores. Those products will have unique package designs to provide a unique buying component for high-end consumers.

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  • Reebok to accelerate China expansion with 500 new stores by 2020

    Reebok to accelerate China expansion with 500 new stores by 2020

    Global fitness and lifestyle brand Reebok has unveiled plans to open 500 FitHub stores in China by 2020 as part of a major push to become the region’s leading fitness brand.
    The label, owned by Adidas, aims to expand its physical presence in China where it says the market for fitness is growing fast.

    The FitHub concept is an extension of the brand’s new positioning as a fitness-focused label and offers customers an integrated store experience with in-store classes, events and a team of product experts who can provide advice on the right gear for every workout.

    Reebok has already opened seven FitHub stores in China in the last few months, including locations in Wuhan, Qingdao, Hangzhou and Beijing.

    And 50 further stores are scheduled to open this year to meet the target of 500 FitHubs in China by 2020, according to local media reports. Reebok is collaborating with its retail partner Belle International Holdings Ltd to drive the rollout.

    “For a fitness brand, there is no better country to invest in right now than China,” said Chad Wittman, general manager of Reebok Greater China to China Daily.

    “We’ve spent a lot of time and energy putting together a China strategy that meets the specific needs of Chinese consumers in terms of product, messaging and experiences.”

    Wittman said the strategy of offering events in stores will resonate in China, where consumers “want to do fitness activities to be more healthy and more successful. There are lots of opportunities to offer Chinese consumers a better life through fitness activities.”

    In addition to its global range of fitness apparel, footwear and equipment, the brand will be working with teams based in China to design and manufacture products that meet the specific needs of Chinese shoppers.

    Reebok, a 120-year-old brand, has been shifting away from celebrity athletes and repositioning itself as a brand for fitness lovers in the past few years. It is currently focusing on three key categories: running, training and classics, and this year running will be a key category according to Wittman.

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  • Toys “R” US to add 40 more stores in China annually

    Toys “R” US to add 40 more stores in China annually

    Toy retailer Toys “R” Us said it will open between 30 to 40 stores annually in China, as the local toy and game market in China took in $31.6 billion in 2016.

    With China’s penchant for toys and consumers preferring to see and touch products before purchasing, Roy Sammartino, managing director of Toys “R” Us China stressed the importance of a growing physical store presence in China.

    “China is our fastest-growing market with more store openings than anywhere else in the world,” Sammartino told China Daily in an interview.

    The American firm’s stores would open mostly in major cities, while regional and online shoppers would be able to access products via its online stores.

    “Internet retailing continues to gain a strong share, as the pricing of products in online stores helps it capture sales from other channels,” Euromonitor International Senior Associate Carol Lu told the leading daily.

    “For toy and game firms, internet retailing is an important tool for marketing their products in regions where they have a limited presence.”

    Meanwhile, popular movies continue to drive the sales of toys and the impact lasts a long time, said experts.

    According to Euromonitor, China’s total toy and game market was worth 218 billion yuan ($31.6 billion) in 2016. Traditional toys and games accounted for around 70 billion yuan.

    Founded in 1948 by Charles Lazarus, Toys “R” Us in headquartered in Wayne, New Jersey, in the New York City metropolitan area.

    Toys ‘R’ Us currently has two online stores and 134 physical stores in 55 cities in China. It boasts 883 stores in the United States, Puerto Rico and Guam and another 1,049 stores in 37 other countries and regions around the world including Australia.

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