Italian fashion label Emilio Pucci has opened in Seoul its first store in South Korea, in Seoul.
On the third floor of Galleria Luxury Hall East, the store carries the brand’s ready-to-wear range, silk accessories, handbags, shoes, small leather goods and beachwear collections.
Emilio Pucci has stores in Bangkok, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Tokyo.
The brand was founded by Don Emilio Pucci, the Marchese di Barsento, a Florentine Italian fashion designer and politician.
Tissot Japan plans to almost double its stores to 300 locations over the next few years.
The Swiss watchmaker says its aim is to broaden its brand recognition in one of its most important markets.
Part of the Swatch Group, Tissot has its products in about 170 stores in Japan, and intends to increase that to about 220 locations this year. As well as department stores and watch stores, it is considering sales at boutiques as well.
In July, Tissot opened its first street-level store in Japan, in Osaka. In the medium term, it is considering opening one in Tokyo as well.
Swatch also owns other brands, such as luxury watchmaker Omega.
Miniso Singapore plans to open 20 more stores by the end of this year, taking its network in the city to 46.
In an interview with The New Paper, Miniso Singapore director Alex Zhang said locals were responding well to its eclectic offer of homewares, electronics, bags and household items.
And he is confident the brick-and-mortar model will continue to serve the brand well, despite growing volumes being sold online.
“From what we observed, Singaporeans still enjoy the experience of shopping in malls. People here still love seeing the designs and products in person before buying them.”
Miniso Singapore opened its first store in December 2015 and now has 26 operating across the city. The brand was founded in China, opening its first Japanese store in 2013. Despite its Chinese base – it has 1000 stores trading in the mainland already – it tries to position itself as a Japanese brand, a sort of discount version of Muji. That strategy has attracted criticism in the past.
Miniso has also opened stores in Hong Kong, Australia, Vietnam, Russia and Turkey.
Leading watch company Daniel Wellington revealed its brand new Classic Petite collection and global marketing campaign featuring four a-list global icons today at LCX, Harbour City. Hong Kong expansion plans are also under way as the brand announced their goal to open around 10 new stores across the city over the next year.
Celebrity Cantopop singers Fiona Sit and Pakho Chau helped launch Daniel Wellington new Classic Petite collection and the brand’s global marketing campaign today at LCX, Harbour City.
The new Daniel Wellington faces are world-famous, incredibly successful, young global icons: model and TV personality Kendall Jenner is featured across Daniel Wellington media wearing the brand new Classic Petite watch alongside highly sought-after model siblings Lucky Blue Smith and Pyper America Smith and model, TV personality, actress and singer ROLA.
Kendall Jenner is one of the most influential people on the internet, boasting a staggering 75.9 million Instagram followers. Lucky Blue (2.8 million followers) has been a successful model since a young age while his sister Pyper America’s (722K followers) modelling career has been skyrocketing over the past year. Rola, with 4.4 million Instagram followers, was discovered in Japan at the age of 16 and rose to fame in no time due to her character, sense of style and distinctive beauty.
The campaign release comes hand in hand with four new watches launched under the brand’s newest Classic Collection named Classic Petite. Available in the signature rose gold and silver, they are inherently Daniel Wellington , the quintessence of classic sophistication and timeless design, intended to match any occasion and outfit. Thin, refined and perfectly round, the Classic Petite 32mm watch is the ideal staple especially for females.
Inspired by an intriguing gentleman with impeccable style who caught Founder Filip
Tysander’s eye on a trip across the globe back in 2011, Daniel Wellington watches are known and loved worldwide for their classic, minimalist design and interchangeable straps. Carried in all major cities worldwide, the company has firmly established itself as one of the most beloved watch brands in the industry, which is not traditionally known for being active on social media. Having started the brand with a no-traditional-advertising rule, Daniel Wellington is proof that carefully planned online content truly is the best brand catalyst. With over 2.9 million followers and over 1 million uses of the hashtag #danielwellington, their combined strategy of influencer activity and user generated content has clearly paid off and changed the watch industry forever.
The brand celebrated the campaign kick-off at a pop-up event at LCX, Harbour City, with celebrity Cantopop singers Fiona Sit and Pakho Chau taking centre-stage alongside the anticipated global icons campaign and coveted new watches. In line with the way the brand rose to fame, many of Asia’s top social influencers were invited to participate in the pop up event. The store will remain open to the public until Sunday, March 19 th .
Omega Malaysia has opened its fourth boutique, at Suria KLCC in Kuala Lumpur.
As well as a ribbon-cutting ceremony, there was a traditional lion-dance performance. Guests included actors Jojo Goh, Nazim Othman, Siti Saleha and Tasha Shilla, singer Sheila Majid and beauty queen Serene Lim.
Omega president/CEO Raynald Aeschlimann told guests that the brand had established a strong presence in Malaysia over the past 11 years.
He said the level-one store would showcase the Swiss luxury watch maker’s full range of products.
Omega’s first boutique in Malaysia opened its first boutique in Starhill Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, in 2006, followed by stores in Pavilion Kuala Lumpur and Gurney Plaza, Penang.
Like Omega’s other boutiques, the new store has a design inspired by the natural elements of air, water and sunlight, depicted using cream and champagne colours in the interior design, along with reconstituted zebrawood furniture and chiselled glass surfaces.
Apart from watch collections, the store also offers fine jewellery, leather goods and sunglasses.
Founded in 1848, Omega is a brand within the Swatch Group.
Philippine Seven Corp, the 7-Eleven Philippines operator, says it will open 412 new stores this year.
For the second successive year the listed company will budget P3.5 billion (US$70 million) for capital expenditure.
The company has just opened its 2000th outlet, at Legaspi Village in Makati City.
The majority of the new stores will be opened in Luzon, with 50 scheduled for the Visayas and 50 for Mindanao.
Philippine Seven president and CEO Jose Victor Paterno says half the new stores will be company owned and operated, the other half franchised.
“We will stick to the provinces first because we have experience and we know the market. The sales of the others can’t support the high rents in the metro. If we cannot pay it, we won’t enter,” Paterno said during a press briefing.
Sales at 7-Eleven Philippines stores rose 23 per cent in 2016 to P32 billion (US$636 million).
Paterno said there is a lot of room for the convenience store industry to expand. He anticipates the total number of all brands of c-stores in the nation will exceed 15,000 within 10 years – almost four times the current number.
US restaurant chain Genuine Broaster Chicken (GBC) has launched at Singapore Mall in the Uttar Pradesh capital of Lucknow.
It is the region’s first outlet of the fast-food chain, and franchise owner Atul Maurya says he plans to expand the brand throughout Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand this year.
The Genuine Broaster Chicken company entered India two years ago in a partnership with F&B franchise-management company Yellow Tie Hospitality. The first outlet opened in Mumbai, with plans to roll out more than 300 outlets in 40 cities across India by next year.
Founded in 1953, Genuine Broaster Chicken is known for serving pressure-fried chicken, but also offers burgers. It has a presence in 36 countries.
Jollibee US will open its first fast-food restaurant in Florida on March 18, to be followed by more outlets in the city.
A former A&W Restaurants and Kentucky Fried Chicken building covering nearly 3500 sqft (325 sqm) in Jacksonville has been renovated by the Philippines-based chain. It is next to The Potter’s House Soul Food Bistro in Keman Village shopping centre.
Starting as an ice cream parlor in the Philippines in 1975, Jollibee expanded into the US in 1998, opening in Daly City, near San Francisco, to cater to Filipino and Filipino-American families. The Jacksonville metro area also has a Filipino community of about 17,200 people, according to the US Census Bureau.
Jollibee says the Jacksonville move is the forerunner of further expansion in the US, where it already has 35 locations, nearly half of them in California. The group has 1111 stores worldwide.
Multi-channel fast fashion retailer Missguided is working with Kerry Logistics Network Limited, Asia’s leading logistics service provider, as supply chain partner to support its ongoing global growth.
Kerry Logistics will handle all international air and ocean needs for the UK-based retailer, as well as providing a wide range of value-added services and on-the-ground logistics support through its extensive network across the Greater China region and Asia.
Missguided will make use of Kerry Logistics’ Virtual Buying Office (VBO), a web-platform with supply chain and planning functions designed to provide visibility from Purchase Order (PO) creation through to final delivery, addressing inventory risk whilst further enhancing overall efficiency of its operations.
“It is fundamental to our business strategy that we have a global logistics partner that has the flexibility to react quickly to our demands no matter where the consignment is coming from or going to,” said Brett Young, operations director of Missguided.
“Our customers receive market leading options together with a high level of service for a very reasonable price, therefore the initial stock movements are imperative to our overall customer experience.”
“By using proven, forward thinking partners such as Kerry Logistics, we are able to build on new initiatives, continually improve our customer experience, and in turn support our aggressive growth strategy,” added Young.
“We are delighted to be working with one of the UK’s fastest growing and innovative brands. Seamless transparency will be fundamental in managing the fast-moving supply chain for Missguided. Our VBO is a highly functional supply chain management tool linking together all supply chain partners into one global system, optimising information flow and efficiency, and thus minimising risks along the supply chain,” said Emma Rowlands, sales director of Kerry Logistics (UK).
“Our strengths in Asia, combined with the recent acquisition of Apex Maritime and its affiliated companies in the US, will enable a strong platform to manage the client’s strategic growth and expansion across the globe,” added Rowlands.
Missguided opened its first physical retail space in Westfield, Stratford City, London, in November 2016, and its second, in Bluewater, Kent, is due to open in summer 2017.
Cult Japanese performance sandal brand Suicoke has entered the Canadian market.
Its styles are being made available through its first-ever eCommerce website, Suicoke.ca, as well as in luxury Canadian retailers including Gravity Pope, Haven Shop, Holt Renfrew, Ssense and TNT. The brand is being distributed by wholesale multi-brand sales and distribution agency, Slavin Raphael.
Canadian shoppers can now buy Suicoke’s latest collection, characterised by the brand’s signature details such as neoprene panels, adjustable nylon straps and Vibram Morflex soles.
“Suicoke provides a fresh and innovative take on the sandal,” says Slavin Raphael partner Avi Raphael.
Suicoke was established in 2006.
Japan’s convenience store chain 7-Eleven has started hiring staff for its Vietnam operation, as it seeks to expand retail business to one of Asia’s fastest-growing economies.
The retailer is looking for full-time staff, including shop manager, salesperson, shop developer, marketing associate and trainer, all to be based in Ho Chi Minh City, Seven System Viet Nam Company said in a statement Monday.
In 2015 7-Eleven’s U.S. subsidiary signed with the firm a licensing agreement to open stores in the Southeast Asian country.
The date of opening or the number of outlets planned for the city are not yet disclosed. 7-Eleven has said the first store was expected in spring 2017.
The launch of 7-Eleven stores is believed to heat the stiff competition among foreign investors in Vietnam’s retail market, which has grown at around 10 percent annually in recent years, and sales are likely to reach $109 billion in 2017, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit.
7-Eleven, owned by Japan’s Seven & I Holdings, is an international chain of convenience stores with over 60,000 stores across 17 countries and territories. It has stores in five Southeast Asian markets, namely Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Indonesia.
Sports brand Canterbury New Zealand, established in 1904, has opened its first Thai flagship store in Bangkok.
Located in the Phayathai Building, the 70 sqm shop offers 120 products in four major categories: men’s training, women’s training, on-field accessories and a British-Irish line. The retailer has kitted out some of the top sporting teams in the world.
Silver Fern Holdings, the exclusive distributor for Canterbury in Thailand, has set a three-year expansion plan. This includes standalone stores in major tourist cities such as Chiang Mai, Hua Hin and Phuket, plus shop-in-shop outlets at major shopping malls in Bangkok including Emporium, Siam Paragon and The Emquartier.
“We aim to increase annual sales of Canterbury products in Thailand from the Bt15 million [US$1.7 million] expected for this year to about Bt60 million in three years,” says Silver Fern Holdings MD Mark Bennett.
The investment for standalone outlets will be about Bt1.5 million a store, each with about 70 sqm of retail space. Pop-up and shop-in-shop stores will have about 30 sqm of retail space.
Canterbury claims to be the world’s original rugby brand, and is official kit supplier to a host of rugby teams globally. It says its clothing is designed for training, workouts and general fitness.
“We see Thailand as a potential market for Canterbury sportswear products thanks to a growing middle class and the health-and-fitness trend,” says Bennett.
The company will introduce its latest Control Gear and Compression Gear technologies into Thailand. Control Gear is engineered to optimise training performance, while the Compression Gear range provides graduated levels of constant compression in key zones to optimise sports performance.
Canterbury products are also available through distributors in Japan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and South Korea.
Longines Lin Chi-Ling, the Taiwanese model and actress, was a special guest at the grand opening in Macau of the Longines boutique at T Galleria by DFS, inside City of Dreams.
Lin Chi-Ling, Longines ambassador of elegance joined DFS Group for the grand opening of the Longines boutique at T Galleria by DFS at the City of Dreams in Macau
The Swiss watch brand used the occasion to launch the Longines Master Collection DFS Special Edition. This dial of this watch has a pattern inspired by Venice landmark The Doge’s Palace (the first DFS store in Europe was opened in the city of canals).
Longines and DFS Group celebrate the opening of the Longines boutique with special guest, Longines Ambassador of Elegance Lin Chi-Ling. From left: Christophe Chaix DFS Group senior VP fashion, watches, jewellery and accessories; Walter Von Känel Longines president; Lin Chi-Ling Longines ambassador of elegance; Sibylle Scherer DFS Group president merchandising and consumer marketing; Benjamin Vuchot DFS Group region president, Asia North; Sunny Yu senior VP, entertainment and projects, Melco Crown Entertainment
Created especially for DFS and cased in steel, the watch will be released globally from March 1.
Covering more than 500 sqft (46 sqm), The Longines boutique features timepieces from the brand’s signature collections, and augments the 29 watch and jewellery brands in the newly expanded Watches and Jewelry Hall at T Galleria by DFS, City of Dreams.
Marking the store opening was a ribbon-cutting and celebratory toast by Longines president Walter von Känel, Lin Chi-Ling, DFS Group president for merchandising and consumer marketing Sibylle Scherer, and DFS Group Asia north president Benjamin Vuchot.
Lin Chi-Ling has been associated with Longines since 2005 and is officially Ambassador of Elegance. Apart from modelling, she is a television presenter, awards presenter and is about to make her movie debut in the John Woo film The Battle of Red Cliff.
Less glamorously, Chi-Ling has also written a book, with the rather technical title Emissions of 2,2,4-trimethyl-1,3-pentanediol Monoisobutyrate from Latex Paint.
FedEx will expand its global e-commerce business in an effort to compete for the growing number of packages shipped to consumers from China and Japan, executives said Monday.
The company, which in 2014 acquired Bongo International, a company that helps shoppers purchase goods from foreign retailers by automatically adjusting currencies, and customs and shipping costs, by location, is rebranding the business as FedEx CrossBorder. The company plans to expand its services to merchants in China and Japan by next June, said Chip Hull, vice president of the newly named division. The company already consolidates shipments for global e-commerce retailers in the U.S., Europe and Peru.
Asia “is the second-largest region from an export perspective in the cross-border space, on par with Europe, and is growing at a faster rate,” Hull said. As global e-commerce grows at double-digit rates around the world, “Asia is certainly the 800-pound gorilla in the room.”
FedEx’s international e-commerce efforts have come as other companies are investing in helping retailers with international online-shopping services. United Parcel Service acquired i-Parcel around the same time that FedEx bought Bongo, and Pitney Bowes acquired Borderfree last year. Deutsche Post AG’s DHL also offers international e-commerce services.
Filipino casual-dining company Max’s Group is taking its pizza chain Yellow Cab Pizza to Vietnam.
Max’s Group says it has signed a development agreement with Blue Star Food in Ho Chi Minh City to roll out at least 12 Yellow Cab Pizza stores in Vietnam within five years, says president/CEO Robert Trota.
The timing and locations of the Vietnam restaurants have not been revealed, but the plan will raise Yellow Cab’s international network to 165 outlets.
Blue Star Food CEO Nguyen Thanh Nam says Vietnam’s young and affluent population has been targeted by significant developments in the F&B industry.
“A lot of Western and casual-dining restaurants are flourishing in Vietnam,” he says, including McDonald’s and Starbucks.
Blue Star Food oversees 45 ice-cream parlours for US brand Baskin Robbins.
Western food represents 7 per cent of dining-out visits in Vietnam, according a survey by UK market research company Decision Lab.