Retail News CRM

Tag: expansion

  • SCR Corp set to move into Indonesia

    SCR Corp set to move into Indonesia

    Sarawak (Malaysia) restaurant chain SCR Corp is set to move into Indonesia, first targeting Pontianak in Borneo as well as Jakarta.

    GM (franchising and strategic planning) Johnny Leo Lee Boon says the company is ready to launch its franchise business once potential partners have secured prime locations in the two cities. He says business groups from Pontianak and Jakarta have visited Sarawak several times to study the chain’s franchise business model.

    “They have come up with proposed secondary locations to set up SCR restaurants that we find may not be ideal,” he says. “We advise them to look for strategic prime locations where there are good daily crowds… The ball now is in their court.”

    Leo says Jakarta has more than 70 malls that are ideal for F&B, while Pontianak with its population of about 1.6 million people could also support the franchise.

    SCR, which celebrates its 30th anniversary next year, owns 36 restaurants and has 19 franchised outlets in Sarawak, Sabah, Labuan and Brunei. Fourteen of the owned outlets and five franchises are in Kuching. The menu features 110 local and western dishes and beverages, with Singapore chicken rice the signature dish.

    Leo says SCR is also in preliminary talks with a company in the Philippines about franchising, and its executives are expected to visit soon.

    Meanwhile, SCR will soon open its first franchise outlet in Lawas, northern Sarawak, and there are expansion plans to to Kapit once the road link is ready.

    “The food business market in Sarawak is saturated,” says Leo. “We are consolidating and limiting the number of outlets in certain towns. Our focus is to expand our franchise business to more countries in Asean.”

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  • E-Mart and Lotte enter Vietnam

    E-Mart and Lotte enter Vietnam

    The Go Vap district near Tan Son Nhat International Airport and part of Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam are widely known as special to the Korean retail industry. This is because despite the fact that there are not many Koreans residing in the area, Korean retail giants are competing fiercely in the region. E-Mart, Lotte Mart and Vietnam’s second largest retailer Big C all have stores competing in a four kilometer (2.5 mile) radius.

    E-Mart and Lotte Mart are competing for dominance in the young Vietnamese market. More than half of Vietnam’s population of 93 million is less than thirty years old. The large market industry is also undeveloped in Vietnam, with 75 percent of shopping being done at traditional markets, so there is great potential for growth. This potential attracts big retailers like E-Mart and Lotte Mart. Go Vap is particularly attractive because its residents are middle class, well-earning couples. Lotte Mart established itself in Vietnam in 2008 and has 12 stores, which is the third highest in Vietnam for a retailer. E-Mart leapt into the Vietnamese market last December with its store in Go Vap and it is planning to expand its operations.

    The E-Mart store in Go Vap is no different from the ones in Korea. There were the iconic yellow shopping carts as well as No Brand products displayed in the center of the store. No Brand products, modeled after the Japanese company Muji, are relatively cheap because they have no branding and packaging costs, but their quality remains unaffected. E-Mart’s membership card has the phrase “Korea’s No.1 Mart.”

    “We have set up our stores to reflect the Korean lifestyle,” Chang Yun-suk of E-Mart said. “The reasonably priced No Brand products are considered Korean luxury products in Vietnam.”

    E-Mart also operates an Electro Mart, which specializes in electronic goods, in Vietnam. Even on a weekday afternoon, there are plenty of Vietnamese customers flying drones and enjoying the action figures on show, as well as singing karaoke. E-Mart showcased the Electro Mart when it opened its E-Mart Town last June and it only has them in a few places in Korea, including in Yeongdeungpo in Seoul and in Pangyo, Gyeonggi.

    The Korean lifestyle theme is felt in the food available in the area, with Starbucks and Korean pork belly, or samgyeopsal, restaurants in the store. It is unusual to have a Starbucks in a large mart like E-Mart in Vietnam but Shinsegae Group, which operates Starbucks in Korea, persuaded the Vietnamese authorities to have a Starbucks in the store like they do in Korea. Vietnam normally only has Starbucks in hotels, department stores and luxury shopping malls.

    On the other hand, the Lotte Mart store in Go Vap, located only three kilometers from its rival E-Mart, has a Vietnamese feel. The store is filled with a thousand types of Vietnam Choice L products, which are developed and produced in Vietnam. Lotte Mart aims to offer products based on the Vietnamese lifestyle. The traditional rice noodles and cookies are all made in Vietnam. At the end of this year, Lotte Mart will release a point system for all of its subsidiaries in Vietnam known as Vietnam L. Point.

    Lotte Mart even exports Vietnamese products to Korea. Lotte Mart stores in Korea offer various Vietnamese goods including Vietnamese G7 coffee and hosts a special program onVietnam every summer. This is because Lotte Group is very well established in Vietnam with its many subsidiaries based there, including top restaurant business Lotteria, Lotte Hotel and Lotte Department Stores. Lotte wants to project a positive image of itself to the Vietnamese people.

    In fact, the Lotte Mart enjoys so much export success in the Vietnamese market that even Vietnamese politicians and media often jokingly ask their domestic companies, “Do you know how much Vietnamese products Lotte Mart export?”

    The E-Mart and Lotter Mart stores differ greatly, but their large size and strategy for entertainment are compatible. The E-Mart store is 10,579 square meters in size while the Lotte Mart store is 13,223 square meters. Both stores welcome between 10,000 and 15,000 customers every day and both have large motorbike/scooter parking lots capable of holding 1,500 such vehicles to cater to Vietnamese customers, whose main method of road transport is either motorbikes or scooters.

    Both stores also target couples with children, hence they both have large children’s cafes, each measuring 990 square meters. Lotte Mart’s entertainment stores, including its bowling arena and cinema, cover a considerable area of 6,600 square meters, while E-Mart’s occupies 4,628 square meters.

    “Vietnam does not have many amusement parks and cinemas so families often come to large marts to enjoy leisure activities,” Hong Won-sik, general director of Lotte Mart Vietnam, said. “Also, considering the business side, Vietnam has such low consumer prices that it is common to make profits through external store rents rather than from selling fresh products.”

     

  • Welcoming Australian FreakShakes in Asia

    Welcoming Australian FreakShakes in Asia

    Milkshake treats known as FreakShakes, devised by suburban cafe in the Australian capital of Canberra, have started making inroads to Asia.

    Patissez became a social-media sensation last year when it introduced its signature milkshakes piled with cookies, pretzels and even slabs of cake. Also known for its cakes and desserts, the family-owned patisserie was besieged by queues, so a second store was opened in the centre of the city.

    Now its first store outside Australia has been attracting crowds since opening in Kuala Lumpur last month.
    “We’re thrilled. The team in Kuala Lumpur is excellent,” says owner Anna Petridis. “The store is on Jalan Talawi, Bangsar Village, and it’s beautiful – everything a Patissez store should be. I plan to use that store as the model for all future outlets.”

    Patissez has also just opened in Singapore, in the new Raffles Holland Village. “It’s totally different to Kuala Lumpur but has its own flavour, which definitely suits the area and local market,” says Petridis.

    Now the company is planning more store locations in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, plus expansion into Bangkok, Beijing and Shanghai. As part of this growth, it is setting up the “Patissez Exchange” which will enable staff members at any level to have the chance to work in the international stores.

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  • Bolloré Logistics Expands its Logistics Operations in Myanmar

    Bolloré Logistics Expands its Logistics Operations in Myanmar

    Bolloré Logistics Myanmar recently announced the start of operations for its new logistics center strategically located in the Mingaladon area, 8km from airport, 25km to main sea port terminals and with quick access to the Asian Highway network.

    Through a wide range of services and best practices process, this facility will provide our customers with operational, commercial, and cost flexibility and efficiency.

    “This is a worthy investment in view to reinforce our presence in Myanmar, and it will enable us to offer more value-added services to our customers such as kitting, packing, labeling, price tagging, and delivery nationwide”, highlights Elizabeth Shwe, Director at Bolloré Logistics Myanmar.

    This new state-of-the-art multi-user warehouse benefits from a surface of 6,000 sqm and is equipped with 24/7 security guards. CCTV, fire protection, seven loading bays, forklifts, all are in use to reinforce clients’ satisfaction. This new warehouse is specialized for industries such as Garment, Telecom, and medical equipment.

    “Following our successes and developments in Telecom and medical equipment, it was much needed to continue investing in order to cope with the continuous increase of garment needs,” mentions Julien Loiret, General Manager at Bolloré Logistics Myanmar.

    Beside our regular services, the Myanmar branch office has been developing tailor-made solutions for textile customers such as buyer consolidation, multimodal delivery from Myanmar to overseas (sea/air, crossborder).

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  • Watson Indonesia launches expansion plan

    Watson Indonesia launches expansion plan

    Watson Indonesia plans to open up to 20 new stores this year.

    Duta Intidaya, the local Watson’s rights-holder since 2006, will use about 65 per cent of the US$6.49 million raised in its recent IPO to fund the new stores, with the balance of the cash going to repay bank debt.

    While there are more than 100 Watson stores in Singapore and more than 400 in the  Philippines, the brand is under-represented in Indonesia, where to date just 47 have opened.

    Duta Intidaya says the new stores will open predominantly in shopping malls, with one high street store planned for tourist resort Bali. Three new stores have already started trading in Jakarta this year.

    Hong Kong-based AS Watson is keen to see the brand catch up its rivals by store network numbers: Century has more than 200 stores and rival Hong Kong chain Guardian has more than 100.

    “We are still small, so we need more funds to expand and the IPO is the most proper decision at this time. We want to build a stronger brand,” Duta Intidaya director Sukarnen Suwanto told a press conference.

    Duta Intidaya plans to continue growing at a rate of 15 to 20 stores annually, and will launch online in 2017.

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  • Xiaomi to open 1000 experience stores and emerge as ‘Muji in tech sector’

    Xiaomi to open 1000 experience stores and emerge as ‘Muji in tech sector’

    Smartphone vendor Xiaomi Corp said on Monday it plans to open 1,000 offline experience stores over the next three to four years and continue to expand its product portfolio.

    The move toward experience stores comes in the wake of online smartphone sales hitting the ceiling.

    Xiaomi has been grappling with declining phone shipments and mounting competition from rivals such as Huawei Technologies Co Ltd.

    Lei Jun, founder and CEO of Xiaomi, said the Beijing-based company wants to be the Muji in China’s tech sector. Muji is a Japanese retail company that sells a wide variety of household and consumer goods.

    “Xiaomi was never meant to be just a smartphone vendor. Instead, we are aiming to offer consumers a wide range of products at affordable prices,” Lei said at the Summer Davos in Tianjin.

    “We need about 40 kinds of electronic products to attract consumers to our online shopping platform and offline retail stores,” he said, adding the company has invested in 55 smart hardware manufacturers in recent years.

    Xiaomi has expanded its offerings from smartphones to drones, air purifiers, patch panels to rice cookers.

    “When I founded Xiaomi in 2010, I knew clearly that it would take 15 years for Xiaomi to go public, because the company’s business model is too complicated and consumers need time to cultivate belief in our products,” Lei said.

    Di Jin, research manager at IDC China, said Muji’s business model works quite well for fast-moving consumer products such as shampoo. But for electronic products, the key to success still lies in hefty investments in research and development.

     

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  • Jollibee Manhattan opens

    Jollibee Manhattan opens

    Jollibee Food Corp has taken its Chikenjoy and other Filipino favourites to Manhattan.

    The third Jollibee store in New York is located in what is dubbed the busiest bus terminal in the world, Port Authority Bus Terminal, Manhattan’s major gateway. It is on 609 Eighth Avenue between West 39th and 40th streets.

    Jollibee Manhattan, which has 255 sqm in floor area, takes the total number of stores in the US to 34.

    Recently Jollibee hit a milestone when it opened its 1000th global store at The Dubai Mall. It has also opened two stores in Singapore in addition to the first one it set up on Orchard Road. The company now sets its sights on high-expansion growth in the US, Middle East, Europe, Australia and Southeast Asia.

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  • Tops Thailand parent plans aggressive

    Tops Thailand parent plans aggressive

    Tops Thailand parent Central Food Retail has committed Bt6.5 billion (US$183 million) to open new stores during the next five years.

    At a function marking the Central Group’s supermarket subsidiary’s 20th anniversary this week, president Alistair Taylor said the company plans to add about 70 new stores annually to reach 600 by the end of 2021. It currently has 205.

    “For this year alone, we plan to allocate between Bt1.2 billion and Bt1.3 billion of investment capital in two areas,” he said.

    “Between Bt200 million and Bt300 million will be spent on a system to support our growth. Another Bt600 million will be spent on new stores, and between Bt400 million and Bt500 million on renovations of our existing supermarkets.”

    Central Food Retail operates 85 Tops Market stores, 51 Tops Daily and seven Central Food Hall stores, among other formats.

    The focus of the expansion plan will be rolling out new Tops Daily and Tops Market stores.

    Taylor says the plan will help the company maintain average growth of 10-15 per cent.

    Central Food Retail is also considering opportunities outside Thailand.

    “There are also many opportunities we have seen in neighbouring countries. However, there is no fixed plan decided by the company at this moment.”

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  • Lulu opens new hypermarket in Malaysia

    Lulu opens new hypermarket in Malaysia


    UAE-based retail major Lulu Group has opened its first hypermarket in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, as part of its plans to further consolidate its retail presence in the Far Eastern region.

    The 250,000 sq ft hypermarket was inaugurated by the Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Sri Najib Tun Razak in the presence of Dato Sri Dr Ahmed Zahid Hamidi, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Agriculture and other government  officials.

    Lulu had recently announced its plans to set up 10 hypermarkets in Malaysia over the next five years at an investment of $300 million.

    The new hypermarket is ideally located in the CapSqaure, Jalan Munshi area of Kuala Lumpur is expected to be one of its kind in the country and will attract large segment of population from all walks of life with its attractive product offers and range.

    It is spread in three levels and combines everything from grocery and supermarkets products to fashion, household and latest electronics and gadgets, said a statement from the retailer.

    Hot food from around the world, fresh seafood and locally grown produce are some of the key highlights in the supermarket area, it stated.

    Speaking at the launch, Najeeb Razak said: “We are very pleased to welcome Lulu brand to Malaysia as this will pave way for more international brands to come and invest in the country. I am also hopeful that Lulu will surely open many more hypermarkets and malls not only in Kuala Lumpur but also in other parts of Malaysia.”

    Yusuff Ali MA, the chairman, said: “With an initial investment of $300 million in the first phase, we plan to open 10 hypermarkets by the end of 2021 and a central logistics and warehousing facility in Malaysia. These projects are likely to generate more than 5,000 job opportunities for Malaysians.”

    “We also plan to set up contract farming to ensure continuous supply of high quality products and to support the Malaysian agriculture sector,” he added.

    Apart from the hypermarkets, Yusuffali also announced the group’s plan to invest another $500 million in setting up the largest shopping mall in Malaysia.

    “Today the whole world knows about Malaysia’s economic stability, investor friendly approach, liberalized policies and world-class infrastructure and we are confident about our success here and our hypermarkets encompass both supermarket and department store formats and we intend to bring a whole new world of shopping to the residents of Malaysia.”

    He added that other hypermarkets would be opening in Kota Baru (Kelantan), Shah Alam (Selangor), Johar Baru, Bangi, Ipoh (Perak), Malacca, Penang and Kuala Terengganu.

    One of the largest retail chain in the Middle East, Lulu currently operates 126 stores across the GCC, Egypt, India, Indonesia and employs more than 38,000 people from different nationalities.

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  • Macau’s first apple retail store launched

    Macau’s first apple retail store launched

    APPLE Inc. launched its first retail store in Macau on Saturday, expanding the brand’s presence in Greater China to 41 stores.

    Hundreds of Apple fans queued at the new store at Galaxy complex in Cotai district before the store opened at 10 a.m.

    Macau is an incredibly important region for Apple, Denny Tuza, senior director for Apple Retail Asia Pacific told Xinhua, noting that”Macau is a rich commercial and industrialized city with 600,000 residents and 32 million tourists annually. The city has a unique hybrid urban culture, representing a peculiar blend of Oriental and Western influences.”

    This new two-layer outlet includes sales space where over 150 Apple latest designs are displayed for customers to experience hands-on, and a gathering place for workshops.

    According to Tuza, Macau store has 149 employees who are mainly hired locally, speaking nine languages including Mandarin, Cantonese and English and Portuguese.

    Apple also brought two free camp designed to help spark the imagination of kids ages 8 to 12, teaching them to make movies and create interactive books complete with their own illustrations and sound effects.

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  • Pablo Malaysia to launch in October

    Pablo Malaysia to launch in October

    Japan’s Pablo cheese tart chain will open its first store in Malaysia in October.

    Pablo Malaysia will make its debut with a flagship outlet inside 1 Utama shopping centre in Petaling Jaya with more cafes expected in other shopping centre in the Klang Valley later.

    Pablo Cheesetart Malaysia

    The Osaka-founded company is renowned for large size cheese tarts – generally 20cm in diameter, with a soft core. They’re sold in ‘rare’ or ‘medium’ format, which refers to the texture of the cheese filling.

    Flavours include apricot jam, matcha and chocolate glazes, with seasonal variants changed monthly.

    In March, Pablo Japan introduced mini versions of the cheese tarts measuring 6.5 centimetres with a shortcrust shell, sold in plain, chocolate, strawberry and matcha.

    Pablo has already opened outlets in Taiwan and South Korea and is headed for Singapore, also.

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  • Marquee Brands takes Ben Sherman to China

    Marquee Brands takes Ben Sherman to China

    A year after acquiring Ben Sherman, Marquee Brands has signed an agreement to have the British menswear brand distributed in China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.

    Its partnership with MRH SpaRotica Groupe encompasses both offline and online distribution, manufacturing and also the launch of a series of mono-branded Ben Sherman retail locations. Five shops will launch this year with at least 30 more planned. The first will be in Shanghai, opening by August, followed by Jiangsu, Hubei, Hunan and Sichuan.

    “Ben Sherman’s 50-plus years of British style and culture demonstrate the brand’s ability to stand the test of time,” says MRH president and CEO Richard Kisembo. “Our partnership with Marquee Brands is inspired by Ben Sherman’s iconoclast status among heritage brands. Heritage and culture continue to be a motivating factor in brands that have the ability to move generations at retail, a key factor to success in China.”

    Marquee Brands president Michael DeVirgilio says the demand for Ben Sherman is high in China where young consumers have become more global and sophisticated.

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  • Conrad makes debuts in the Philippines

    Conrad makes debuts in the Philippines

    Last week, the inspired luxury of Conrad Hotels & Resorts makes its debut in the Philippines with the opening of Conrad Manila. Owned by SM Hotels and Conventions Corporation, a subsidiary of SM Investment Corporation and managed by Hilton Worldwide (NYSE:HLT), the 347 room Conrad Manila is located at the forefront of the Mall of Asia complex, in the heart of the 42 hectare Bay City development, a destination earmarked as a shopping, leisure, and business hub.

    “We are delighted to establish Conrad Hotels & Resorts in this vibrant capital of Manila. The award-winning Conrad Manila, which enhances our portfolio, underscores our commitment to delivering best-in-class hotels in key gateway locations that meet the growing needs of global luxury travelers. An inspiring destination, Conrad Manila will delight guests with intuitive and customized service, as well as provide them access to a world of connections and inspired experiences,” said John T. A. Vanderslice, global head, Conrad Hotels & Resorts.

    “The stunning Conrad Manila is an exceptional addition to the Conrad Hotels & Resorts portfolio and we are delighted to be partnering with SM hotels on this exciting project, who share our passion for excellence. Its opening underscores the growth of our portfolio across Asia Pacific and our continued commitment to the dynamic market of the Philippines. This landmark property perfectly complements the vibrancy of this amazing capital city and will set the benchmark for luxury accommodation in Manila,” Martin Rinck, president, Hilton Worldwide, Asia Pacific.

    “We are pleased to work with Hilton Worldwide in bringing the esteemed Conrad brand to Manila. Amidst the robust tourism outlook, the most anticipated opening of Conrad Manila will definitely be a game changer in the already exciting Philippine hotel scene,” says SM Hotels and Conventions Corp. President Elizabeth T. Sy. “We look forward to a fruitful partnership with Hilton Worldwide in further elevating the hotel industry in the country,” adds Ms. Sy.

    Recently awarded the Best in Hotel Development, Best Hotel Architectural Design and Best in Hotel Interior Design at the fourth annual Philippines Property Awards, Conrad Manila’s distinctive architecture is inspired by the shipping vessels that ply the bay. The hotel sits atop the two-level S Maison, a high-end retail complex, and has direct connections via walking bridges to SMX Convention Center, the country’s largest convention space, and is adjacent to SM Mall of Asia, one of the country’s largest malls, as well as Mall of Asia Arena, a 16,000-seater indoor stadium where international shows, concerts and major sporting events are held.

    Poised to be the venue of choice for business, social events, and weddings, Conrad Manila offers four contemporary event halls and two sophisticated ballrooms, spanning more than 4,000 square meters, which are fitted with state-of-the-art audio-visual technology. For intimate al fresco parties, guests can also opt for The Veranda, an outdoor garden space overlooking the city scape.

    At Conrad Manila, all 347 guest rooms and suites are specially designed with an intuitive technology. Upon sensing motion in the room, the air conditioning switches from energy-saving mode to cool, the curtains in the room will automatically open with ambient lighting set to match the time of the day. Guests can instantly feel at home with a 42-inch flat screen HDTV with an IPTV menu, Wi-Fi and wired Internet access, Nespresso machine, Bluetooth-enabled entertainment technology and hydrotherapy rain showers. Suites and executive rooms offer picturesque bay or city views, with access to the Executive Lounge, and bathrooms that feature in-mirrored TV for an uninterrupted entertainment experience.

    Located on the third level of the hotel is the infinity swimming pool, inspired by the pristine coastal seas of the Philippines with its coral shape. Guests may also slip to the 24-hour Fitness Center or the Conrad Spa, which offers a variety of locally inspired treatments using organic ingredients. The spa has six treatment rooms with soaking tubs, a private sauna, and steam facilities.

    The hotel has six restaurants and lounges, including a coffee bar, pool bar, and in-room dining prepared by the culinary team led by Executive Chef Thomas Jakobi. The restaurants and bar at Conrad Manila feature:

    • Brasserie on 3 offers an eclectic mix of sustainable and organic dishes ranging from hearty to healthy dishes. The restaurant also features al fresco dining overlooking the bay, private dining rooms for intimate celebrations, and an exclusive chef’s table, where diners can enjoy a special tasting menu with a curated selection of organic wines.
    • China Blue by Jeremy Leung presents a modern interpretation of the traditional Chinese cuisine, artfully curated by Chinese celebrity master chef, Jereme Leung. A first for a Chinese restaurant in the Philippines to partner with a celebrity chef, China Blue by Jereme Leung takes Chinese dining experience to a new high with its authentic cuisine, modern interiors, and floor-to-ceiling glass windows that offer panoramic bay views.
    • C Lounge is inspired by the city’s distinctive culture and lifestyle, where guests can enjoy a wide selection of beers, liquors, and locally-inspired cocktails. With a laidback vibe during the day, it transforms into a sophisticated destination bar at night. Its al fresco area offers guests an awe-inspiring visual of the Manila sunset.

    Conrad Manila offers the popular Conrad Concierge mobile app, which gives global luxury travelers the ability to customize details of their hotel stay before, during, and after visit via a smartphone or tablet. Whether it’s pre-selecting bath amenities or checking-in while in-transit from the airport, guests can access a variety of features by using the app.

    Conrad Manila participates in the Hilton HHonors®, the only guest loyalty program where guests who book directly throughwww.conradhotels.com have access to benefits including an exclusive member rate that can’t be found anywhere else, free standard Wi-Fi and popular digital tools available exclusively through the industry-leading Hilton HHonors mobile app, where HHonors members can check-in and choose their room at over 20 Conrad hotels worldwide.

    Please visit www.conradhotels.com/manila or call +632 8339999 to learn more about or to connect with Conrad Manila. For more information about Conrad Hotels & Resorts, please visit https://news.conradhotels.com or follow us atwww.facebook.com/ConradHotels, www.instagram.com/ConradHotels, https://twitter.com/ConradHotels.

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  • Cheesecake Factory China opens at Disney Resort

    Cheesecake Factory China opens at Disney Resort

    US food brand has opened the first The Cheesecake Factory China under a licensing agreement with its affiliate CCD China Operating Corporation.cheesecake_factory_counter

    Being run by Hong Kong-based Maxim’s Caterers, the restaurant is in Disneytown, the shopping, dining and entertainment precinct in Shanghai Disney Resort. The outlet has a menu of more than 200 items – all handmade in-house with fresh ingredients – featuring its signature cheesecakes and desserts.

    “China is an exciting new area of development for us and we are so pleased to be able to bring The Cheesecake Factory’s guest experience to Disneytown,” says The Cheesecake Factory founder/chairman/CEO David Overton, from California.

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  • Descente China marching across mainland

    Descente China marching across mainland

    Sportswear maker Descente China plans to open 100 retail stores under its own name before March 2019.

    Unlike the 500-odd boutique stores with swimwear and golf goods being run already in China by a foreign subsidiary of the Japanese company, the new outlets will be large shops under the Descente banner offering a wider range of products.

    Descente’s plan is to open both roadside stores and outlets in shopping malls stocked with both functional gear for sports such as golf, skiing, running and triathlons, as well as fashionable sportswear for everyday use.

    Descente has set up a joint venture with Chinese sportswear giant Anta Sports Products. Tentatively named Descente China, the JV has been capitalised at 250 million yuan ($38 million), with 60 per cent held by a subsidiary of Anta, 30 per cent by Descente and 10 per cent by the Chinese subsidiary of Japanese trading house Itochu.

    Descente and Anta will share marketing channels and collaborate in the search for store locations.

    In late August, Descente will open four or five retails stores in northeastern China, including Heilongjiang province, famous for an annual ice and snow sculpture festival. Later, Descente will open stores in major urban areas like Beijing, Shanghai, Dalian and Chongqing.

    By teaming with a local sportswear maker, Descente believes it will have an easier time fending off fakes, says company president Masatoshi Ishimoto.

    He says the company aims to double Chinese sales from last year’s figure to about 22 billion yen ($207 million).

    As well as its China expansion, the company is opening golf apparel stores in South Korea.

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