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Tag: expansion

  • Ikea to open world’s largest store in the Philippines

    Ikea to open world’s largest store in the Philippines

    Ikea Philippines says its first store will take up an enormous 65,000sqm space, making it the world’s largest. The current largest Ikea store globally opened in Seoul in December 2014 and takes up 59,000sqm. Local franchisor Inter Ikea Systems, which operates the homewares and furniture retailer in Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, chose to partner with SM Malls for its Philippine launch. The store will become an anchor of the giant Pasay mall, and its largest tenant when it opens in 2020.

    The size of the store reflects the huge consumer catchment: more than 5 million households within 60 minutes drive.

    Inter Ikea says the store will stock 9000 products and host a warehouse to fulfil online orders and an integrated call centre. A Philippine-specific website will launch prior to the store opening to help build brand awareness and offer design inspiration.

    “The Ikea vision is to create a better everyday life for the many people, so we are excited to be bringing our offer to a country where millions of people share our passion for home,” said Ikea Southeast Asia MD Christian Rojkjaer.

  • 6ixty8ight Singapore expands by opening stores

    6ixty8ight Singapore expands by opening stores

    Hong Kong lingerie brand 6ixty8ight is trebling its Singapore store network. 6ixty8ight Singapore will open new stores at Tampines 1 on December 1 and at Bugis Junction this week. They follow the brand’s debut at VivoCity in July.

    The Bugis Junction 6ixty8ight Singapore store will take up340sqm of space, a little larger than the 270sqm site at Tampines 1 – but both are considerably larger than the first store, which is just 185sqm.

    6ixty8ight was founded in 2005 by Hop Lun Group which has manufactured lingerie for many international brands for more than 25 years. Its strategy was to use its manufacturing expertise to create underwear for Chinese women. Such a course did not cannibalise sales from its manufacturing customers, which primary target western markets. It was the first time the manufacturer had developed its own label.

    The brand, which targets women aged 15 to 30, has found a ready market in Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea where its value offer and fun store decor has differentiated it from rivals. It now has more than 150 stores in the region.

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  • Woodland to add 60 stores, strengthen franchise model in India

    Woodland to add 60 stores, strengthen franchise model in India

    With changing lifestyles and increasing affluence, domestic demand for footwear is projected to grow at a faster rate than has been seen in India. Currently, India is the second largest footwear producer in the world, with footwear production accounting for approximately 9.6 per cent (till April 2018) of the global annual production – 22 billion pairs as compared to China, which produces over 60 per cent of the global production.

    The footwear market in India is now dominated by men’s footwear which contributes close to 58 percent of the total Indian footwear retail market and is expected grow at a CAGR of 10 percent by 2020. The women’s footwear segment, however, is projected to grow at a much faster CAGR of 20 percent.

    While the industry is currently dominated by unorganized domestic SME footwear manufacturers, changing consumer behavior and modern lifestyles have led to more organised brands coming into the fray, lured by the potential of bigger sales, but mostly in a bid to give the consumer branded, better quality products, value for money.

    A significant shift was observed post liberalisation when lifestyles expanded to foster great value for the sports/active segment and for casualization as a whole. The technological prowess of global sportswear giants enabled them to functionally and fashionably appeal to a young India. Tapping the unlocked potential in India, Woodland entered India in 1992 when the Indian footwear market was largely unorganized and soon became a recognizable name in the adventure and outdoor segment in India.

    The Right Fit

    The brand boasts of a huge product portfolio aside from footwear, including apparel and accessories.

    “In order to survive in today’s ever-changing and highly competitive market like India, diversifying our product portfolio is inevitable. Keeping a close eye on latest trends and new rising demands, we upgrade our portfolio accordingly,” Harkirat Singh, MD Woodland.

    The demand for the products is different in India and other countries because of the various factors namely demographic conditions, climatic conditions, styling culture.

    “We created a product line specifically for India and since then we have never looked back. Our product positioning was altogether unusual, and we were known as a one definite choice for adventurists, taking the market for rugged and outdoor leather shoes by storm. The phenomenal success in the shoe segment encouraged and motivated us to enter in new segments like clothes, handbags as well,” explains Singh.

    Over a period of time, the brand has expanded its product category and now has an extensive product range including handbags, wallets, travel bags, casual shoes, formal shoes, track pants, eyewear, gloves and outdoor equipment like tents, sleeping bags, umbrellas, trekking poles, waterproof outdoor backpacks.

    The prices of products have been set with a realistic approach since Woodland prides itself on being a customer-friendly brand.

    “The pricing strategy is to keep the prices in sync with the purchasing power of our target customers, which are majorly the youth segment – aged between 17-25 years, college studenst and professionals – who are interested in adventure sports and are on the lookout for stylish, yet value for money products. The price range of our jackets varies from Rs. 5,000 to 35,000 whereas the price range of our footwear starts from 3,000,” says Singh.

    Letting Technology Lead the Way

    With online channels taking over the retail industry, e-commerce has gradually become an inevitable part of the company’s sales and revenue. The company’s portal and other e-commerce sites collectively contribute to the e-commerce sales revenue, thereby adding to volumes. There is also an exclusive range of merchandise for e-commerce sites.

    The availability of Woodland products on all the prominent e-commerce websites enhances the brand visibility among the larger group of audience and helps widen the scope of sales.

    The brand is also a strong believer in Omnichannel retail, investing in online sales which are expected to grow to 40 percent in the next three to four years. It plans to concentrate more on a seamless approach through all available shopping channels, i.e. mobile internet devices, computers, bricks-and-mortar, television, radio, direct mail, catalogue, in-store experience and so on.

    Aside from this, Woodland has a history of exploring innovative technology embedded in products and integrating it with all aspects of the brand.

    “We have already launched GPS embedded jackets, BOA shoes, client T-shirts, and many more new technologies and innovations in products are in pipeline,” says Singh.

    Retail Mapping & Expansion Plans

    Globally, Woodland is present in more than 40 countries. In India, Woodland has a chain of over 600 company-owned stores and is present in over 5,000 multi-brand outlets and is planning on adding another 60 stores in this financial year in an equivalent combination of small towns and metros.

    It is also working towards strengthening its franchise model in India, to grow its presence in smaller cities and towns.

    “We are currently working on entering into more foreign countries in the near future to add to our international kitty. Woodland as a brand is already present in China, Aokang and Hon Kong. Apart from this, we are working on strengthening our presence in South-East Asia, West Asia, Europe and USA,” states Singh.

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  • Crocs opens its 100th store in India at VR Mall Chennai

    Crocs opens its 100th store in India at VR Mall Chennai

    The new store, which spreads across 625 sq. ft., is Crocs’ third store in the city and 5th in the state of Tamil Nadu. Boasting a premium location at VR Mall, the hub for luxury and international brands in Chennai, the store promises to strengthen the reach of the iconic brand in the state capital.

    Since the opening of its first store in India in 2008, Crocs has successfully carved a distinct positioning for the brand amongst the Indian consumers akin to its global positioning and is growing at a robust pace with presence across 50 cities in India.

    Crocs, which is known globally for its iconic Clogs, is turning towards India to fuel its next phase of growth. India is currently the 6th biggest market for Crocs globally with a high double-digit growth year on year.

    Metro Shoes, the national franchise partner of Crocs India, will be operating this 100th store located in Chennai. The partnership with Metro Shoes began in 2014 which has helped the iconic footwear brand in expanding its reach to over 50 cities through its EBO operations.

    Speaking on occasion, Deepak Chhabra, CEO & MD, Crocs India, said, “We are excited on reaching the century mark in India. India is one of the rare markets where even after opening 100 stores we still feel under-penetrated. Our absolute focus for the next phase of geographical expansion will continue to be on top 6 metro cities across the country along with state capitals. Exclusive brand stores are a very significant part of our growth strategy. In addition to aggressively growing our EBOs, we will be strengthening our presence in Tier-II cities via MBOs and Kiosks. Further, e-commerce will remain an integral part of our distribution strategy and help us reach out to consumers where our brick and mortar presence is limited. Region-wise South India, due to its demographics and very high brand recall, contributes the highest amongst all regions in the country and will remain an integral part of our India growth strategy.”

    Commenting on the occasion, Rafique Abdul Malik, Chairman & MD, Metro Shoes, said, “We would like to congratulate Crocs India on the launch of their 100th store and are confident that this is just one of many more milestones to follow. Metro Shoes is glad to partner with a brand which despite being just 16 years old has an iconic status with probably the highest brand-recall across the globe. India as a nation has a high affinity for open shoes and sandals owing to the climatic conditions, making Crocs highly relevant in this market.”

    With its unique brand awareness and break-through product innovations, Crocs is progressing towards becoming India’s top non-athletic casual footwear brand. Other than its EBOs, Crocs asserts its strong presence in MBO channels through which its overall offline reach extends to more than 150 cities via 1,500 + points-of-sale. Additionally, it caters to 20,000+ pin codes translating to 400 cities via its e-commerce presence.

    Over the past 16 years, Crocs has sold more than 350 million pairs of shoes worldwide. Crocs as a brand will continue to focus on clogs and sandals, along with new product innovations and extensions of the current product line. This year, Crocs India launched LiteRide™, Drew Barrymore ♥ Crocs Collection, Crocband™ Platform Collection, and Luxe Lined Collection. Last year internationally, the brand has associated with designers like Balenciaga and Christopher Kane bringing in some exciting trends to the runway which further elevated the appeal of the iconic clog in fashion space.

  • Jollibee’s 250th store opened in North America

    Jollibee’s 250th store opened in North America

    Philippines fast food operator Jollibee is planning to hit 150 locations in the US within five years, up from its current 37. The company’s CEO Ernesto Tanmantiong said: “The fried chicken market in the US is quite huge. This is just the first leg of our journey, to be one of the major players in the fried chicken market.”

    The company has also announced plans to open 100 additional stores in Canada, part of its strategy to become on of the world’s top five quick-service restaurants.

    Jollibee operates 4300 stores in 20 countries, and has a portfolio of 14 brands.

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  • Shake Shack opens in Pacific Place HK

    Shake Shack opens in Pacific Place HK

    Located at Pacific Place, the new branch will give out 200 Shake Shack tote bags on a first-come-first-serve basis. In addition to the Shack classics and the Hong Kong exclusive milk tea shake, the new store will introduce a selection of local menu items, including a new series of “concrete” (custard desserts) – matcha golden bell, open sesame and queensway crunch.

    Shake Shack will launch three holiday shakes – Christmas cookie, chocolate peppermint, and Hazelnut – to celebrate the festive season. All of which are topped with whipped cream and decorated with colourful sprinkles.

    The holiday shakes will be available for a limited time at both Pacific Place and ifc mall.

    Echoing with Shake Shack’s mission to Stand For Something Good®, the Pacific Place store will donate 5% of sales from its matcha golden bell concrete to the i-dArt programme of Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, a non-profit organisation that promotes social inclusion by encouraging people with differing abilities to participate in art.

    Shake Shack is ramping up its effort on global expansion.

    In a statement, Randy Garutti, CEO of Shake Shack, said the company entered into licensing agreements to open more than 50 stores in the Philippines, Mexico and Singapore over the next decade.

    The company expects to open its first stores in Singapore and Mexico in 2019.

  • The ThickShake Factory eyes 1,000 plus outlets across India

    The ThickShake Factory eyes 1,000 plus outlets across India

    The ThickShake Factory, a premium thick shake brand that recently completed a century of being operational with more than 100 outlets in India, is planning to expand its footprint in Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, Maharashtra and many more states in the coming few months.

    According to a ANI report: The brand, which brings the concept of running a cold dessert beverage quick service business (QSB) for the first time in the country, has won a number of accolades in the recent past, including ‘The Times Nightlife – Best Beverages, 2015 & 2018’, ‘Coca-Cola Golden Spoon Awards 2018’, ‘IMAGES, Most Admired Startup of the Year’, Best Shakes Parlour Award at ‘Indian Restaurant Awards 2018’, ‘Best Business Growth in F&B’, ‘Best Beverages Swiggy Award 2018’, ‘Franchisor of the Year Award, Franchise India 2016’, and many more.

    The ThickShake Factory serves over 50 types of shakes with more than 40 topping/ mix-ins. It is famous for their ‘Shape your Shake’ feature where customers can choose what they want from the variety of toppings. The brand brings the best flavours in the form of not just ThickShakes, but a complete range of cold coffee varieties, slushies, chocolate and fruit-flavoured drinks.

    The ThickShake Factory has had an excellent journey and has only moved forward since the opening of its first outlet in 2013 with winning ‘Franchisor of the Year’ award twice, one in 2016 and the other in 2018 along with many other awards.

    The company has the vision to have over 1,000 outlets pan-India, along with a strong global presence and has created more than 300 jobs so far, mostly at the bottom of the pyramid and the lesser privileged sections of the society. Recognised as one of the fastest growing QSR chains in India, the company’s current business model is such that the outlets which are currently operational, most of them are franchise-operated and some are company operated.

    “With each day passing, we at The ThickShake Factory are only going ahead as there is no looking behind. We started with our first outlet in 2013 in Hyderabad and have come a long way from there with more than 100 outlets already. Our main focus is to provide the customers with the thickest and most delicious shakes and hence that’s the only thing in our menu. With over 50 types of shakes on the menu, we have something for everyone to suit their palate. We are excited to serve the tastiest and thickest ice cream based shakes in more cities across India,” M. Yeshwanth Nag, Founder of The ThickShake Factory said.

    The founders, M. Yeshwanth Nag and Ashwin Mocherla, were inspired by the global trend of growing appetite for sweet savouries and therefore brought the most appealing range of tastiest ‘Thick’ Shakes to India. The brand never ceases to impress with their heavenly ‘ThickShakes’ through its wide range of offerings.

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  • Korean lifestyle brand Mumuso enters Indian market

    Korean lifestyle brand Mumuso enters Indian market

    East Asia’s affordable lifestyle brand Mumuso has announced its expansion plans in Kolkata while opening its first store. Mumuso is eyeing the Indian market aggressively with new stores in different parts of the country, a senior executive said.

    With a strong presence in over 30 countries across the world, the Korean lifestyle brand Mumuso has entered into the Indian Market and plans to open around 300+ stores by 2022 with an average investment of Rs 80 lakh to Rs 1.2 crore which will be spent towards setting up these company-owned and franchise stores. The brand is planning to open outlets pan India with its market reach in cities likes Kolkata, Hyderabad, Siliguri, Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai, Surat, Durgapur, Chennai and so on.

    Mumuso India — the Indian entity of Mumuso —whose offerings include accessories, stationery, small electronics and lifestyle items, sources these mostly from South Asian nations such as Malaysia, Singapore, China, Indonesia and Korea.

    India has seen a sharp rise in the demand for lifestyle products in the recent years. Mumuso has product categories from Health and Beauty, Fashion Home Accessories to Apparel, Accessories, Digital Products and more. The products offered by the brand are not only beautiful, functional, high-quality and affordable but also provides relaxing and pleasant shopping experience to the customer.

    Speaking on the occasion, Raunak Agarwal, Managing Director, Mumuso India said, “Our expansion strategy is to set up 300+ outlets all over India along with entering the e-commerce market as online shopping has seen a big boost in India in recent years. We are also looking to source from Indian companies specially apparels and small leather products. The company will look to have 300-odd stores by mid-2022. India, being a fast emerging market for retail industry, we are expecting an escalated growth in a short span of time. Indian market has a big potential, where we believe our creative range of products will enhance the rich experience of customers since it’s an international brand with high quality and valued pricing.”

    He added, “There has been a high demand for the trendy and affordable products as far as lifestyle is concerned. People not only look forward to quality and style but also affordability. With Mumuso coming into the picture, people won’t have to travel to different stores for their needs, but just walk into our showroom and get their products. Mumuso brand always adheres to the principle of selling products with reliable quality and affordable price, strictly observes to the borderline of high quality, strives to improve the upper limit of taste and price ratio and provides well-designed products, continuously optimizes the supply chain service system to reduce the cost, creating relaxing and light-hearted shopping experiences for consumers.”

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  • Ikea to open first Japanese Tokyo store in 2020

    Ikea to open first Japanese Tokyo store in 2020

    Ikea Japan is preparing to open its first central Tokyo location. The 2500sqm store is planned for the fashionable Harajuku district, a central focus point for young local shoppers and tourists.

    Threatened by the rise of raw materials costs, Ikea is expected to struggle to maintain its low price points against strong online competitors such as Amazon. The brand’s parent recently registered a significant drop in annual profits as a consequence of the price increases in wood and metals.

    The new store is scheduled to open in the spring of 2020.

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  • Vaping Maker Juul Sounds Out Asia for Expansion

    Vaping Maker Juul Sounds Out Asia for Expansion

    United States-based Juul Labs is exploring selling its compact vaping devices in Asia and has sounded out government officials in Indonesia, one of the world’s most smoker-friendly countries, although gaining approval there could face significant hurdles.

    Expansion into Asia would provide the fast-growing firm with new markets at a time when it faces increased regulatory scrutiny in the United States and Israel over the potential health risks of its products’ high nicotine content.

    Juul representatives held discussions with the Indonesian government last month about introducing its vaping devices, finance ministry officials said.

    Indonesia has one of the world’s highest rates of smoking among adults and teenage boys and imposes no penalties for selling cigarettes to minors. Its population of 260 million also makes it a highly attractive market for tobacco and vaping firms.

    A person familiar with Juul’s plans said executives for the San Francisco-based company are concerned authorities may be reluctant to grant approval due to likely opposition from the traditional tobacco industry, which provides much of the country’s tax revenue.

    Tobacco taxes accounted for nearly Rp 150 trillion ($10.2 billion) or about 11 percent of national tax revenue in 2017, government data showed. Each province also imposes taxes on cigarettes.

    Juul also worries its argument that vaping is healthier than smoking will not hold much sway in Indonesia, which is not as concerned as other countries about health issues, said the person, who declined to be identified as the discussions were not public.

    Juul representatives reached out to the Ministry of Finance to discuss how it would be taxed on any sales of devices there, the officials said.

    The government needs to examine the domestic e-cigarette market to determine how a foreign player such as Juul could hurt local small and labor-intensive e-cigarette firms, said Sunaryo, a senior official at the Directorate General of Customs and Excise.

    “We will need it to study it,” he said, adding that he was not sure Juul would comply with a regulation that requires e-cigarette devices and liquids to be sold separately.

    Juul also would need approval from the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM). Officials at the agency said Juul had yet to be in touch.

    Other Asian countries the three-year-old firm is actively considering for expansion include India, South Korea and the Philippines, the person familiar with Juul’s plans said.

    In addition to Indonesia, Juul filed trademark applications for those countries between April and October this year, as well as in Malaysia and Singapore, according to a review. It opened its first Asia office in Singapore in July.

    So far Juul, currently valued at $16 billion, is available only in the United States, Canada, Britain and Israel. It has plans to enter Russia later this year.

    Juul said in that it is “proactively learning more” and engaging with local officials in Asia “to understand and hear their views.” It does not have immediate plans to launch in any Asian country, it said. Juul spokeswoman Victoria Davis declined to elaborate.

    A Taxing Question 

    Indonesia is one of only a handful of United Nations member states that has not signed on to the World Health Organization’s global treaty that sets standards for tobacco control.Roughly two-thirds of Indonesian men smoke tobacco daily, and more than 21 percent of boys aged 13-15 smoked cigarettes regularly, according to a WHO report last year.

    E-cigarettes, available in Indonesia since at least 2013, is a small but growing market. The customs office estimates that there are about 300 unsupervised liquid makers, known as brewers in Indonesia, producing various liquid products to more than 4,000 vape stores and 900,000 smokers.

    Philip Morris International, maker of Marlboro cigarettes, which now controls about a third of Indonesia’s market through its stake in Sampoerna, does not offer any of its noncombustible cigarette products in Indonesia.

    That includes its IQOS device, a heat-not-burn tobacco product, according to a company spokesman, who declined to comment on why it has not introduced the product.

    In October, the government imposed a 57 percent tax on e-cigarette liquids, on par with taxes on traditional cigarettes. But tax collection, particularly from smaller companies, is difficult in Indonesia and new rules are often ignored.

    Juul now commands a nearly 75 percent share of the US e-cigarette market, up from 13.6 percent in early 2017, according to a Wells Fargo analysis of Nielsen retail data.

    Its products, like most electronic cigarettes, vaporize a liquid containing nicotine. One Juul pod contains as much nicotine as a traditional pack of 20 cigarettes, according to the company’s US marketing.

    Juul liquid in the United States has a nicotine concentration of 59 milligrams per milliliter, much higher than the liquids typically sold in earlier versions of e-cigarettes and nearly three times the allowable limit in the European Union.

    In August, Israel banned Juul devices with nicotine concentration of more than 20 mg/mL, citing “a grave risk to public health.” Juul is appealing that decision and currently offers a lower nicotine-strength electronic cigarette in Israel.

    In September, the US Food and Drug Administration opened an investigation into Juul and other electronic cigarette companies, citing the rising number of teens who appear to be using Juul and other vaping devices. This week it is expected to issue a ban on fruit and candy-flavored e-cigarettes sold in convenience stores and gas stations.

    In its statement, Juul said its products are intended for adult use only, and that it aims to “improve the lives of the world’s one billion adult smokers” by providing an alternative to cigarettes.

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  • Naganuma Ice to make Singapore debut

    Naganuma Ice to make Singapore debut

    Hokkaido soft serve ice cream franchise Naganuma Ice Co is opening in Singapore. The brand is distinguished as the sole Hokkaido firm certified by the prefecture’s authorities for using raw Hokkaido milk in their ice cream products. The milk is sourced from ranch cows near Naganuma town before being transported immediately to the brand’s factory for low-temperature pasteurisation.

    Naganuma’s three stores in Hokkaido and three in Taiwan regularly see hour-long queues for the ice creams, produced with the raw milk and eggs.

    The new outlet launches November 25 at Carlton City Hotel.

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  • Dubai’s Danube Home makes debut in India

    Dubai’s Danube Home makes debut in India

    Danube Home, part of Dubai-based diversified business conglomerate Danube Group, has forayed into India by opening its first store in Hyderabad in October 2018. The brand has high hopes for the Indian market. In an exclusive interview with IMAGES Retail, Shubhojit Mahalanobis, General Manager, Danube Home says, “We see India as a country with huge potential, offering an incredible opportunity for growth. The real estate sector is at its peak in India with numerous properties, towers, communities and complexes coming up for both residential and commercial purposes. This directly contributes to a rise in demand for home furnishing products and solutions. Moreover, demonetization and GST has made operating in India much easier for international brands.”

    “Reports say India is expected to see a faster expansion of urban population consisting of aspirational millennials and middle class families with spending power that will trigger the growth in demand for affordable home furnishing products and solutions. For a brand like Danube Home that offers home furnishing products and solutions, this is a very promising time to enter the country,” he adds.

    Danube Home, which will be sourcing 30 percent from India to complement the government’s initiatives, has done an extensive study on Indian consumers, their buying behaviours, color and lifestyle patterns. Based on the research, the store that spans across 60,000 sq. ft offers more than 20,000 products under one roof targeting the middle and upper-middle segment of pyramid.

    The USP

    The Danube Home store in Hyderabad has all the key features and benefits that global consumers are experiencing across the Middle East. However, its India product portfolio will be a lot different from the Middle Eastern market.

    “We have handpicked collections to cater to the well-travelled modern Indian consumer with products from various parts of the world such as US, Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Russia, Malaysia, Turkey, Egypt, UK and China, to name a few, giving customers a great opportunity to shop the best quality products at value for money price,” states Mahalanobis.

    “In addition to this, customers will enjoy free interior designing services and seamless payment solutions with consumer financing options,” he states. These key features ensures 90 percent of repeat customers.

    Danube Home, which starts as an online player and plans to go Omnichannel eventually as traction picks up, aims to offer complete home solutions, for instance other brands who sell sofa or beds do not sell wall paper or customized curtains, but Danube offers end-to-end solutions that include everything from outdoor furniture to sanitary ware.

    “We focus a lot on our customer service standards and ensure both pre and post sales is a memorable experience which is why we have been awarded the No. 1 furniture retailer by the Dubai Government. We have a dedicated post sales team that makes direct calls to ensure everything goes smoothly post sales. This is an important step of the whole brand experience,” explains Mahalanobis.

    Their customers also experience Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, Online Seamless Shopping and many new technologies that Danube offers in its markets abroad. Customers will also be able to walk through their dream home in Virtual Reality.

    “Danube Home offers global quality products at local price. We source our products from across the world and design our collections looking at customers behaviour and needs. Gradually, the Indian consumers shall experience various innovative and engaging little touches which we hope will be unique to us. That is what the brand is all about,” he adds.

    Marketing Plans

    As far as marketing plans of the brand is concerned, Danube Home has mixed conventional and unconventional mediums to connect with the brand’s ethnicity. The brand has taken the ATL, BTL, social and guerrilla marketing routes.

    “We have added fun, interactive elements and image build up activities. We are targeting middle class and upper middle class millennials, double income no kids section and nuclear families. Our key focus remains with builders, architects and the designers’ segment, who shall be amazed to see our collection and price offerings for their projects,” says Mahalanobis.

    The brand will be using all the mediums – print, TV and online – to advertise itself in India to get the maximum ROI.
     
    Human Resources

    Besides, the entry of the brand in the Indian market will not only create 1,500 direct jobs, but also support local industries that will benefit from the supply chain as it will deepen, sourcing products from every nook and corner of India.

    “This will also help us to create a greater demand for Indian designed home décor and home furnishing products and export them to other markets – such as the GCC – where we have a strong presence,” states Mahalanobis.

    Each store of the brand will employ around 85-100 direct employees and 50 indirect employees, logistics department will have 50-75 employees during the initial days and gradually with the increase in strength of stores, the count will also increase.

    “We hire the best from the industry, train them rigorously sharpen their skills aggressively and keep them motivated for a long period of time to deliver great results. The India team will also experience our team bonding and training methods, and hopefully, they will also deliver miraculous results,” he says.

    The brand believes in flexible work culture driven only by performance based rewarding, empowering the team and giving them enough freedom to bring success.

    Apart from this, Danube Home has a plethora of employee engagement activities like multiple outbound training programs at various levels, product launches at off-sites involving the power sellers, runs reward programs and engage in healthy competition atmosphere within each peer group.

    Future Plans
     
    Danube Home plans to set up 10 large format showrooms, a large logistics hub, transport network and associated facilities in the next 5 years.

    “We have identified potential locations across the North and South Indian States. Once the properties are signed, the plan would be disclosed,” says Mahalanobis.

    The average store size in India will be between 40,000 – 50,000 sq. ft depending upon the space and layout of the store. Depending upon the size of each store, average investment per store will be Rs 40 crore. The brand is already in talks with few big mall developers and hopes to partner with them for aggressive pan India expansion.

    “We target to grow 15 percent like-for-like each year for the initial 5 years. We don’t want to be bullish about the growth unless we settle down and understand the market deeply,” he concludes.

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  • Gentle Monster opens second store in Singapore

    Gentle Monster opens second store in Singapore

    South Korean eyewear brand Gentle Monster has opened a second store in Singapore at Marina Bay Sands. The launch, coming more than a year since the opening of Gentle Monster’s first store in Southeast Asia at Ion Orchard, is part of the brand’s “13” project. According to the brand, the project is “based on a story of an extreme ecological change the Earth would have to endure in the future due to a tilt of its axis, caused by the Moon being pushed farther away from planet Earth.”

    The concept serves as a metaphor to describe modern-day people who seem “obsessed and overwhelmed by the invalid information they receive daily.”

    To celebrate the opening of the new location, Gentle Monster has teamed up with fashion blogger Yoyo Cao to come up with a special edition of the brand’s popular Cobalt sunglasses model. The limited edition eyewear features a trendy tear drop-shaped frame along with details such as a twisted bridge and an inner template engraved with the word “Yoyokulala”.

    The Gentle Monster x Yoyokulala eyewear will retail at S$368.

    Find out the interior of the store below (5 images) :

  • Cluse opened a new store in Singapore

    Cluse opened a new store in Singapore

    CLUSE opened a new store in Singapore, in Takashimaya Shopping Centre on 15th November, with the leading Asian brand curator Bluebell Group. CLUSE is an Amsterdam based watch and jewellery brand, risen to fame for fashionable watches inspired by minimal French design.

    Ever-since, CLUSE has expanded their collections to host a range of both watch and jewellery lines with the ambition to create pieces for every woman, in a celebration of the uniqueness of everyone who wears the brand.

    The new store in Singapore holds classic collections by CLUSE.

    From their original La Bohéme collection of women’s watches with oversized dials and minimalist features, to their La Vedette collection with small dial sizes, inspired by starlets of the past.

    The store also features their iconic collection of square watches, named La Garconne, as well as their other most popular watch collections, Minuit, Triomphe, and La Roche.

    Usually focusing on women’s accessories, this time a year CLUSE revealed both a feminine gift box, including their bestselling La Garçonne with an additional strap, and a first-time ever masculine gift box – featuring the  company’s classic La Bohème design, with an additional nato strap large enough to fit a bigger wrist.

    Both of these festive season sets are packaged in new, specially designed gift boxes which hint to the style of the watches inside.

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  • Crumpler plans expansion into Mainland China, Taiwan

    Crumpler plans expansion into Mainland China, Taiwan

    Australian bag brand Crumpler has added distributors in Taiwan and Mainland China as it looks to expand sales in greater Asia and open new stores there. Crumpler CEO Adam Wilkinson says the region is the brand’s fastest-growing market outside Australia, so increasing its distributor network and retailer presence in Mainland China and Taiwan is “vital for us to meet the demands of current and new customers”.

    Sea to Summit has been appointed in Mainland China and HWA Yao Trading in Taiwan.

    Crumpler Asia now has five distributors in six Asian countries and at least six stores.

    “A lot of Chinese consumers are already fans of the Crumpler brand and with our middle-class rapidly growing, now is the time to re-introduce Crumpler’s premium travel, lifestyle and work bags and accessories to a wider market, with a particular focus on department stores and shopping malls,” said Barry Lin, sales director at Sea to Summit China.

    “Quality is our primary focus when aligning with a new brand which makes Crumpler a natural fit for HWA Yao. The retail market is evolving in Taiwan hence we’re excited to bring

    the reputable bagware brand into the market. We forecast it will be a successful ongoing partnership”, said Vincent Kao, CEO.

    Founded in Melbourne in 1995, Crumpler was created to address the needs of bicycle couriers looking for good-looking and cleverly designed messenger bags. The company has since expanded its range to include backpacks and a broad range of carrier solutions.

    Crumpler has a retail and online presence in Australia, the US and Asia, with more than 27 storefronts and distribution across 35 key department store and online retailers worldwide.