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Tag: expansion

  • French fashion brand The Kooples to launch in Hong Kong

    French fashion brand The Kooples to launch in Hong Kong

    The Kooples, a popular accessible-luxury fashion brand from Paris for men and women,  to launch in Hong Kong, Macau and Mainland China, with exclusive partnership with Swire Resources.

    Founded by brothers Alexandre, Laurent and Raphaël Elicha in 2008, The Kooples is an international brand with more than 400 stores in 36 countries.

    French accessible luxury brand The Kooples to launch in Hong Kong cover

    Perfecting French street-chic styling by combining precision cuts, attention to details and precious fabrics — and famed for its unique concept of a gender-fluid aesthetic so guys and gals can borrow each other’s style — the Parisian label is inspired by love, couples, rock’n’roll spirit and tailoring know-how.

    The first Kooples’ flagship store under Swire will open in mid-November 2017 at Pacific Place, one of Hong Kong’s most iconic shopping malls.

    As the exclusive regional distributor for the brand, Swire Resources is instrumental to The Kooples’ global expansion strategy, particularly in gaining a foothold in the fast-growing Greater China market, where consumers have an increasing appetite for international accessible-luxury and affordable-lifestyle brands.

    “We are excited to welcome The Kooples into the Swire Resources’ diverse portfolio of brands,” says Richard Sell, Director of Trading and Industrial at Swire Pacific, the parent company of Swire Resources.

    “We see huge potential for this self-styled, spirited, exciting brand on the back of the impressive growth it’s achieved in the accessible-luxury segment since its inception in Paris less than a decade ago. With Swire’s experience and expertise in brand building, retail and distribution of consumer brands, we are confident in strongly contributing to The Kooples’ success in Hong Kong, Macau and Mainland China,” he added.

    “After expanding in the US, the Middle East and Korea, we are thrilled to open our first flagship store in Hong Kong with new partner Swire Resources” says Emmanuel Stern, CEO and Co-founder of The Kooples. “The Kooples is a family affair and we are excited to welcome Swire Resources as the newest addition to the family.”

    Adds Laetitia Mergui, CEO Asia of The Kooples: “The Kooples’s Greater China launch has been long awaited. We cannot wait to meet our first customers in Hong Kong in November 2017 and in Mainland China in 2018.”

  • Ba&Sh plan for Asia expansion

    Ba&Sh plan for Asia expansion

    Parisian affordable luxury brand Ba&Sh plans to ramp up its Asian presence after early success in Hong Kong.

    The region has become a top priority for founders Barbara Boccara and Sharon Krief after a cornerstone 50 per cent investment by LVMH-linked PE fund L Capital in 2015. Ba&Sh plans to open 12 more stores in China, Macau and Hong Kong next year.

    The co-founders made their first personal appearance in Asia at the recent Spring-Summer 2018 collection media preview in Beijing.

    “Ba&Sh is spreading fast in Asia and seems to match the local way of life, confirming the universal reach of its lifestyle,” said Ba&Sh CEO Asia Isolde Andouard.

    Hongkongers quickly embraced the Ba&Sh label, with growing foot traffic in the three stores which have opened since April, at Times Square, Harbour City and IFC Mall.

    “The shops are flourishing, so the brand is all the more optimistic and enthusiastic at the time of launching Ba&Sh in China,” she said.

    Five Mainland China stores have opened since September in fashionable and luxury malls in Beijing – Shin Kong Place, Galeries Lafayette and Taikoo Li – and in Shanghai – Reel and Taikoo Hui.

    The Asia roll-out is being led by Andouard, who previously headed up rival fashion operator, the Chinese-owned French company SMCP, parent of the Sandro, Maje and Claudie Pierlot.

    “Isolde is the right person to achieve ba&sh development in Asia,” explained Ba&Sh global CEO Pierre-Arnaud Grenade. “Her versatile background and her in-depth understanding of the Asian market are strong assets to support Ba&Sh implementation there.”

    Isolde Andouard, Ba&Sh CEO Asia with Pierre-Arnaud Grenade, CEO Global.

    Authenticity wins following

    Andouard says the brand’s authenticity won over French women and believes that same authenticity appeals to Asian consumers.

    Despite its LVMH-linked ownership, Barbara and Sharon remain the faces of the brand “and, as such, they do reinforce the customers’ identification with Ba&Sh. But above all, Ba&Sh benefits from its success in France and from the LVMH network to carry out a daring expansion strategy. The launch in Asia and in the US were done simultaneously, a bold move that is starting to show tangible results,” she said.

    The co-founders, high school girlfriends, have given the first two letters of their names and more than 10 years of their lives to create the brand before attracting the attention of LVMH.

    Globally, Ba&Sh now has 500 points of sale worldwide, including 163 direct retail stores.

    ba&sh SS18 press event_10

    The brand’s two core values – freedom and friendship – are at the heart of the creative process.

    “Trend books never set foot in the Ba&Sh workshop, where only refined fabrics and craftsmanship ignite the spark of the stylists’ creativity. Barbara and Sharon dreamed of building the ideal wardrobe, and that’s why our products are so versatile, in fitting with today’s never-resting metropolitan woman who parties when she’s not working or with her family.”

    The new SS18 collection mixes Anglo-Saxon and Asian inspirations to embody “the joyful and Parisian Ba&Sh spirit”.

    Most prints draw their inspiration from the heart of Asia; Japanese and traditional Chinese patterns are reinterpreted with flair.

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  • Adairs continues with international expansion plans

    Adairs continues with international expansion plans

    Bedding retailer, Adairs, announced it will continue its international expansion next year and will roll out new stores in New Zealand and launch an international website.

    Mark Ronan, managing director and CEO, stated after the successful opening of their store in New Zealand, the company is looking into opening up to two additional stores in the country.

    Ronan said the company is also looking to deliver an international website in 2018.

    “Adairs has considerable opportunity to grow inside and outside of Australia and we will continue to assess these opportunities over the coming year,” he said.

    Ronan said Adairs will also continue to invest in their product team by adding resources to ensure that they “can deliver great product to customers.”

    “As I reflect on the lessons of the last 12 months, it has served to enhance my confidence that our strategy is sound, and our results will be most influenced by our successful execution of this strategy, rather than matters beyond our control,” he said. “‘Product, product and product’ refers to our product differentiation, range optimisation and merchandise planning strategy. Adairs is a product and design led business. Great product is critical to our success.”

    The company has posted a seven per cent increase in total sales for FY17, like-for-like sales, however, finished down 1.4 per cent.

    The company’s online sales continued to grow with investments in this area seeing second half sales up 41 per cent on the prior year. Despite growing total sales, Adairs’ NPAT result was well down on the prior year, with the large majority of this decline coming in the first half.

    Michael Butler, chairman of Adairs also addressed the ASIC infringement notice, denying the allegation asserting the retailer “has complied with its continuous disclosure obligations at all times.”

    “Nevertheless, your Bboard considered that it was in the best interests of Adairs to pay the penalty of $66,000 to enable the management team to focus on the operations of the business and avoid the anticipated cost and management diversion of defending this allegation,” he said.

    “Adairs is committed to keeping our shareholders fully informed.”

  • Thomas Sabo Hong Kong opens flagship

    Thomas Sabo Hong Kong opens flagship

    Thomas Sabo Hong Kong has opened a flagship store at Hong Kong Ocean Terminal, with the German jewellery brand’s founder/designer Thomas Sabo officiating at the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

    He was helped by guest of honour Korean pop star CL, and also in attendance was Korean singer/celebrity Lee Chae Lin.

    The boutique’s fresh colour palette of warmer and lighter colours marks a new era of shop-fitting for Thomas Sabo stores in Asia. Its new design concepts incorporate mid-century elements with simplistic decoration, says the company.

    After the official opening, guests were given a special preview of the exclusive Dragon Nights Edition, available from next month. The collection’s key pieces include dragons as a sign of happiness and the “Shou” sign as a symbol of long life.

    Decorated with feathered dragon heads and intertwined ornaments, the handcrafted collection draws on Far Eastern mythology and is also available at selected Thomas Sabo shops in Hong Kong.

    Established in 1984, Thomas Sabo has about 300 branded shops across all five continents and also collaborates globally with about 2800 trade partners as well as airlines and cruise companies.

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  • Thailand’s Jim Thompson plans global expansion

    Thailand’s Jim Thompson plans global expansion

    A Jim Thompson flagship store will open in Bangkok’s Siam Paragon tomorrow as a preliminary step in a five-year global expansion plan.

    Similar flagship stores have been announced for Hong Kong and Singapore, and other major international retail destinations.

    The luxury brand’s first flagship, it is next to Bombyx, one of Jim Thompson’s five restaurants, and integrates touchscreens to give customers access to the catalogue as well as animated representations of its designs.

    These adaptations reflect the brand’s commitment to going digital (just two years ago it did not have a website or sell products online). It plans to launch it first online store soon in Thailand, to be followed by online stores abroad following the establishment of physical retail locations.

    Jim Thompson’s expansion plans have been presented to the board of the owner, The Thai Silk Co, by its first chief executive Gerald Mazzalovo, who has been seeking new locations and partners taking charge two years ago. He was formerly chief executive of fashion labels Bally, Clergerie and Loewe, and group president of Salvatore Ferragamo.

    The Thai Silk Co already exhibits its Jim Thompson, No.9, Fox Linton and Studio B home-furnishing products in five countries but for now offers its clothing and personal goods only in Bangkok, Malaysia and Singapore.

    Mazzalovo says Bangkok is an obvious choice for the first flagship store, given that the brand’s history and identity are so closely connected to the Thai capital. Within the next five years the company will set up similar flagship locations in London, Paris, New York, Singapore, Hong Kong and Shanghai – in that order, says Mazzalovo.

    His idea is that expansion to Europe first will help it build its reputation as a global brand before
    moving into the Chinese market.

    He says China is one of the most profitable opportunities for the brand, but the market there is much more likely to welcome the brand when it has established a name in Europe, rather than only in Southeast Asia.

    Global ambition

    Mazzalovo believes the company has all the makings of an international fashion house.
    “We have the ambition of going global because we have a lot of the prerequisites needed, including more than 70 years of heritage, know-how and historical anecdotes,” he says.

    The company’s values of authenticity and mystery are still anchored in its founder Jim Thompson, a Princeton and University of Pennsylvania graduate who arrived in Thailand in 1946 after working in Southeast Asia for a US wartime intelligence agency. He disappeared mysteriously in Malaysia in 1967.

    Meanwhile, the company opened a fabric showroom this year in Bangkok and will open a high-end contemporary restaurant in the next few months.

    Mazzalovo says the firm is highly profitable despite competing against brands like Chanel, Ferragamo, Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Prada. He considers the company to be closest to Hermes in terms of product and brand management.

    In this first year with the company he recruited 15 designers and assistants from Korea, Italy, France, Finland and Thailand. The company employs 3000 people and has nearly 40 boutiques around Thailand.

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  • Hublot Japan launches Kyoto townhouse outlet

    Hublot Japan launches Kyoto townhouse outlet

    Hublot Japan has opened a shop in Kyoto’s Gion district, its third directly run outlet.

    The Swiss luxury watchmaker has a store in Tokyo’s Ginza district and another in Osaka. The latest location is in Kyoto’s second Daimaru department store, which has just opened in a traditional Kyoto-style townhouse.

    Hublot Boutique Kyoto is on the ground floor of the two-storey townhouse store in Gion’s main street. A Japanese tearoom on the upper floor can be used for hosting events.

    Founded in Switzerland in 1980, Hublot mainly targets men in their late 30s and early 40s. The Kyoto shop will primarily carry timepieces priced at around ¥1 million (US$9080) to ¥2 million. The shop is a mixture of traditional Japan and 1970s US. A noren (traditional Japanese curtain) printed with the shop’s logo hangs at the entrance; inside, the walls are decorated with American pop art. The sofa is made from Nishijin-ori (a traditional Kyoto textile) while take-zaiku (bamboo crafts) and washi (Japanese paper) are also used in the shop.

    The shop carries some limited-edition items such as the Spirit of Big Bang All Black model.

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  • Old Navy Vietnam opens second store

    Old Navy Vietnam opens second store

    Old Navy Vietnam has opened its first store in Hanoi, three months after its debut in the country.

    The 655sqm store is located in Vincom Nguyen Chi Thanh and offers collections for men, women, kids and babies.

    Melissa Fehlman, GM of Old Navy Vietnam, said the brand aims to open more stores throughout Vietnam in coming years, with Ho Chi Minh City’s second shop scheduled this month.

    Acknowledging that Vietnamese customers are trendy, Old Navy commits to refreshing 70-80 per cent of its products every three months, alongside core, long-term lines such as denim wear.

    Old Navy came to Vietnam under a franchise agreement between Gap Inc and Vietnam IPP’s subsidiaries ACFC and CMFC, which also hold the Gap and Banana Republic franchises in Vietnam.

    The nation’s fashion market is booming, buoyed by the recent arrival of international brands, including Pull&Bear and Stradivarius on September 1.

    H&M opens its first store in Ho Chi Minh City on September 9 and Zara will open its first Hanoi store next month.

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  • Vietnamese retailers look to foreign retail markets

    Vietnamese retailers look to foreign retail markets

     

    In late June, The Gioi Di Dong JSC, which owns the largest mobile phone distribution chain in Vietnam, opened its first shop in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The shop in Cambodia is named BigPhone, but it has a brand identity like The Gioi Di Dong shops in Vietnam.

    The Gioi Di Dong hopes it can earn $100,000 a month from the first shop, and plans to open 10-15 shops in Cambodia this year.

    A senior executive of Pico, a home appliance distribution chain, in early 2016 told the press that the chain was considering penetrating markets like Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia. Of the neighboring markets, Myanmar is the first choice because of favorable conditions of the market: it is easy to find retail premises, and there is less competition.

    Nguyen Ngoc Hoa, when he was chair of Saigon Co-op, affirmed the importance of foreign markets for Saigon Co-op, saying that the retail chain targets Laos and Cambodia for its plan to expand the network.

    “The most important thing in implementing the expansion plan is that Saigon Co-op find reliable partners in doing business overseas,” he said.

    A senior executive of Pico said he can see that there would be both economic and non-economic barriers in the Cambodia and Myanmar markets. He said it would take time to learn about the consumption habits, local culture, the laws and economic factors of the target markets.

    Ho Viet Dong, CEO of The Gioi Di Dong in Cambodia, said though the retail chain has good relations with mobile phone manufacturers, it still faces difficulties in doing business in Cambodia.

    “The mobile phone market here is very complicated,” he said. “Besides, the training of the labor force for long-term business plan also needs consideration.”

    Meanwhile, according to Saigon Co-op’s CEO Nguyen Thanh Nhan, the plan to open a supermarket in Cambodia has been delayed because of the change of the Cambodian partner.

     

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  • Sunglass Hut Opens New Store In Hangzhou

    Sunglass Hut Opens New Store In Hangzhou

    International sunglasses retailer Sunglass Hut opened a new store in Hangzhou’s Intime Wulin store, which is the brand’s third store in the city following the ones in Hangzhou Kerry Centre and Hangzhou Bailian Outlets.

    Sunglass Hut has reached cooperation with many first-tier brands, including Ray-Ban, Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, Burberry, Tiffany & Co., and Coach.

    It started as a small independent store in Miami in 1971 and it developed 100 chain stores in Miami by 1986, reaching annual sales of USD24 million. By 1991, Sunglass Hut’s annual sales exceeded USD100 million and by 1996, the company seized 30% share of the American sunglasses market.

    By the end of 2016, Sunglass Hut already opened 3,269 retail stores in 28 countries and regions around the world, including 3,104 retail stores in North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, South Africa, and Latin America; and 165 authorized retail stores in Middle East and India.

    For the Greater China region, Sunglass Hut had nearly 40 retail stores, including 13 in Hong Kong, seven in Shanghai, and three in Beijing.

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  • Mizuno Experience Center opens in US

    Mizuno Experience Center opens in US

    Japanese sports brand Mizuno has launched into the US, unveiling the Mizuno Experience Center at The Battery Atlanta in Georgia.

    Designed to be an immersive environment that tells the Mizuno story through its gear, the center offers interactive displays using RFID technology with specialised labs for each sport. Customers can touch and test items, which are then customised for their fit.

    “Our goal is to provide a personalised and customised experience in a premium, one-of-a-kind environment,” says Mizuno US president Mark O’Brien.

    “The centre gives athletes the ability to find the right gear to optimise their performance and meet their personal preferences,” says O’Brien. “This is the only Mizuno centre of its kind in the western hemisphere.”

    Throughout the year, the Mizuno Experience Center will host public and private events with professional athlete appearances as well as visits by Mizuno craftsman (gloves and bats).

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  • Miniso US making debut in California

    Miniso US making debut in California

    Miniso US is opening its inaugural store on Friday, in Southern California.

    Known for launching new products every seven days, the four-year-old Chinese discount retailer, which positions itself as a “Japanese lifestyle brand” will have a weekend of celebration to mark the opening of Miniso Pasadena.

    Highlights of the opening will include a taiko drumming performance, goodie bags for the first 200 customers and Miniso headphones for the first 60 shoppers who spend at least $30.

    As an industry disruptor, Miniso combines fashion, lifestyle and low prices. On average, the retailer opens 80 to 100 stores monthly with an anticipated 6000 outlets worldwide by 2020 and global revenues of US$9 billion.

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  • Fred Segal opens Kobe store

    Fred Segal opens Kobe store

    American fashion retailer Fred Segal has opened its third store in Kobe, expanding its footprint in Japan.

    Spread over the first and second floors of a Daimaru affiliated shop in Shosen Mitsui Building, Kyu-kyoryuchi area, the 1175 sqm store features an all-white interior.

    Fred Segal Japan Kobe 1

    Fred Segal brings exclusive lines from the US such as SMN jeans, Jaguar Design shirts, Delfina Balda skirt and tops, Thomas Wylde swimwear and scarves, and Sigerson Morrison shoes.

    Brands such as LA’s Atelier & Repairs, Buaiso are displayed in the “Sunset” showroom along with “La Cienega” VIP salon.

    Fred Segal Japan Kobe 2

    The store’s second floor offers a new dining concept called The Cellar at Fred Segal with a wine bar and restaurant featuring more than 200 varieties of California wine and cuisine.

    The Cellar mirrors the experiential retail trend with a focus on dining, and California flavours specifically, which, like its fashion, is considered an enviable novelty in Asia.

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  • China still on radar for Lotte Group

    China still on radar for Lotte Group

    A Lotte Group executive says the retail giant will continue to invest in its China business despite diplomatic tensions.

    Chinese authorities last month closed dozens of Lotte stores following inspections, ramping up pressure on South Korea’s fifth-largest family-run conglomerate after it agreed to provide land for the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) missile system outside Seoul.

    South Korea and the US say the system is designed to thwart North Korea’s nuclear missile threat, but Beijing says the system’s radar can also reach far into China. This led to Chinese state media calling for a boycott of Lotte businesses.

    “We plan to continue to invest in our China business and continue to strengthen it,” executive Hwang Kag-gyu says. He is the head of Lotte Corporate Innovation Office and is regarded as the second-highest executive next to chairman Shin Dong-bin.

    “It has been 20 years since Lotte entered the China market. We believe the China business is still in an investment period,” he says.

    Out of 99 Lotte hypermarkets in China, 75 have been closed by Chinese authorities. Hwang says the company is working to fix the problems raised by Chinese regulators.

    China is Lotte’s biggest overseas market, generating more than 3 trillion won (US$2.7 billion) in annual revenue in 2015. It is also one of four strategic markets along with Indonesia, Russia and Vietnam that Lotte has been focussing on.

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  • Jollibee Foods JV to open door to Europe

    Jollibee Foods JV to open door to Europe

    Philippine foodservice giant Jollibee Foods (JFC) has entered into a JV agreement with Singapore-based Blackbird Holdings to take the Jollibee brand to the European market.

    JFC’s wholly owned subsidiary Golden Plate has signed the deal with Blackbird to own and run the first Jollibee store in Italy. Golden Plate and Blackbird will incorporate a Singapore company, a 75:25 JV, with Golden Plate holding the controlling stake. The two companies are looking at investing more than US$1 million in the JV.

    Established in 2014, Blackbird has investments both in Singapore and the Philippines in the F&B and other sectors.
    Jollibee says Golden Plate will have full management control of the JV and the first store. Jollibee’s strategy is still to find a territorial franchisee for Italy with the capability to develop and expand the brand there.

    Jollibee has the largest foodservice network in the Philippines and has more than 3290 stores worldwide including such brands as Burger King, Chowking and Red Ribbon. In China it has Dunkin Donuts, Hong Zhuang Yuan, Jollibee and Yonghe King.

    JFC has Jollibee stores in Vietnam (86), Brunei (14), Singapore (4), Hong Kong (3).

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  • Carrefour China opens 27th store

    Carrefour China opens 27th store

    Carrefour China has opened its 27th Easy Carrefour Store in Shanghai.

    On Long Dong Avenue, the 332 sqm store offers more than 4000 items.

    The French multinational retailer opened its first convenience store under the Easy banner in 2004.

    Meanwhile, Carrefour China has launched an app that allows customers to shop online, receive discount coupons, check their loyalty accounts, win gifts and find store information such as opening hours and how to get to them. The app is available for Android and iOS.