Retail News CRM

Tag: Fashion

  • Uniqlo shoppers Details Leaked Online

    Uniqlo shoppers Details Leaked Online

    Uniqlo parent Fast Retailing announced hackers may have gained access to personal information of 461,091 accounts registered on the company’s Japanese shopping websites.

    The retailer said in a statement Monday the hackers may have accessed customers’ personal information, purchase history and partial credit card numbers of some of the users of its Uniqlo Japan and GU Japan online stores from April 23 to May 10 by means of list type account hacking.

    List type account hacking is when user IDs and passwords are potentially leaked from other services or sites.

    The company said it is still investigating the breach and added the number of incidents and circumstances may change during the course of the investigation.

    In the meantime, the Japanese retailer advised its online store’s customers, the number of which the company has not disclosed, to use unique passwords and to avoid using passwords used from other websites to lower the chances of hackers accessing their accounts.

    “Fast Retailing sincerely apologizes for the trouble and concern this has caused to its customers and all others involved,” the company said.

    “Going forward, the company will further strengthen its security measures and take steps to ensure safety, in order to prevent similar incidents in the future.”

    The retailer said information that was potentially accessed includes:

    • Customer name (last name and first name)
    • The customer address (postal code, address, and apartment number)
    • Customer phone number, mobile phone number, email address, gender, date of birth, purchase history, and clothing measurements
    • Receiver name (last name and first name), address, and phone number
    • Customer partial credit card information (cardholder name, expiration date, and a portion of credit card number). The credit card numbers potentially accessed are hidden, other than the first four and last four digits. In addition, the CVV number (credit card security code) is not displayed or stored.

    In its announcement, Fast Retailing said it has identified the origin of the communication from which the unauthorized logins were attempted and has blocked access. The company added it is strengthening monitoring of other access points.

    The Japanese retailer said it has already disabled the passwords for the 461,091 user IDs that were compromised and is sending individual e-mails to each person affected, requesting that they reset their password.

    Fast Retailing has also filed a report of damages regarding the unauthorized logins with the Tokyo Metropolitan Police.

    Online sales made up 9.9 percent of Uniqlo sales in Japan and 20 percent in China in the company’s first-half report. The company said overall online sales rose 30.3 percent in that report.

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  • Kiwis invest Money into Ethical Fashion Brand

    Kiwis invest Money into Ethical Fashion Brand

    With 14 days left to hit their minimum target, New Zealand-based ethical fashion brand Little Yellow Bird announced it has raised over $151,563 in its equity crowdfunding campaign.

    The Wellington-based company is offering Kiwis the chance to invest in the company for as little as $500 to scale its impact, grow the product range and make ethical fashion mainstream. The company also plans to expand internationally.

    Little Yellow Bird hopes to raise a minimum of $750,000 with its equity crowdfunding campaign on PledgeMe as it aims to become New Zealand’s first community-owned ethical fashion brand.

    “We are expanding, and we want to scale our voice and impact,” said Samantha Jones, Little Yellow Bird founder.

    Jones said the best way to do this was by having a community of values-aligned investors.

    Little Yellow Bird uses 100 per cent organic, rain-fed cotton and non-toxic dyes and follows a zero waste policy in its factories, saving millions of litres of water each year.

    With the fashion industry named as one of the biggest contributors to climate change across the world, producing about 10 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions, Yellowbird said it is “absolutely committed to ethical manufacturing.”

    “We track every single item of clothing from source to sale, and we ensure we have transparency across the entire supply chain for our products.”

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  • Victoria’s Secret drops Broadcasted Fashion Shows

    Victoria’s Secret drops Broadcasted Fashion Shows

    A root-and-branch review of the Victoria’s Secret business has spelled the end of its famed televised catwalk shows – and even its giant flagship stores may be under threat.

    The world’s most famous lingerie retailer is trying to arrest falling sales and counter competition from the likes of American Eagle Outfitters’ Aerie and Rihanna’s lingerie company Savage X Fenty.

    Recognizing it needs to reconnect with its core customer base, L Brands founder and chairman Leslie Wexner together with recently hired CEO John Mehas, are “re-birthing the brand” through a strategic review.

    “Fashion is a business of change. We must evolve and change to grow,” Wexner said in an internal memo to staff passed on to CBS News. “For the past few months, we’ve said that we are taking a fresh look at every aspect of our business – from merchandising, marketing and brand positioning, to our real estate portfolio, digital business and cost structure … literally everything. We have made enormous progress in a very short time, and are looking forward to a successful fall and holiday with an elevated, fashion-forward assortment.”

    An early decision is that the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show will no longer screen on national television in the US.

    “Going forward we don’t believe network television is the right fit,” said Wexner in the memo.

    “In 2019 and beyond, we’re focusing on developing exciting and dynamic content and a new kind of event — delivered to our customers on platforms that she’s glued to … and in ways that will push the boundaries of fashion in the global digital age.”

    The annual show was launched in 1995, debuting on network television in 2001. However last year’s audience on ABC was 3.27 million, the smallest to date and less than half the viewership of two years earlier.

    The Victoria’s Secret business has taken some hits in the court of public opinion during recent years. The format of the show, featuring models in scanty costume lingerie has been labeled out of touch in an era where #MeToo movement is reshaping attitudes. Last year, the company was embroiled in controversy after former chief marketing officer Ed Razek said he would not use transgender or plus-sized models in its campaigns.

    Institutional shareholders are demanding higher returns, many lobbying for a spin-off of the highly profitable Bath & Body Works subsidiary.

    Early responses to Victoria’s Secret’s review appear positive. Analyst Lee Peterson, executive VP at Dublin-based retail consultancy WD Partners, said the lingerie giant appeared to be taking the right steps.

    “Everything [Wexner] said – albeit a little tardy – is the right thing to do,” he said. “It seems to me they had an epiphany and realized it’s a new age. You can’t do anything in retail for 20 years and not change.

    “Don’t forget Victoria’s Secret is still more than 60 percent of the market. It’s a big ship to turn around,” said Peterson.

  • JJJ Superstore opens at M3 Shopping Mall in Malaysia

    JJJ Superstore opens at M3 Shopping Mall in Malaysia

    Bok Marketing will open its fourth preloved goods superstore Jalan Jalan Japan (JJJ Superstore) at M3 Shopping Mall in Gombak Kuala Lumpur.

    The phrase “Jalan Jalan” in the name means “going for a walk” in Malay.

    All goods sold in the store are “pre-loved” and imported from Japan. Items are sold under three categories: “Preloved in Japan” (indicating good quality); “Hargagiler” (meaning “crazy low price”); and “Large Stock” (indicating “treasure hunting” shopping).

    Bok is a subsidiary of Bookoff, which operates more than 800 preloved goods stores in Japan – purchasing more than 400 million items from customers every year for resale.

    Each JJJ Superstore stocks around 200,000 SKU under a wide range of categories, including its latest range of traditional Japanese kimonos.

    The firm plans to open JJJ Superstores all over Malaysia.

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  • Sephora confirms Auckland Flagship Opening This Year

    Sephora confirms Auckland Flagship Opening This Year

    Beauty retailer Sephora has confirmed long-standing rumors of an Auckland flagship set to open on Queen Street in 2019. While the retailer launched a local online offering in 2015, the bricks-and-mortar location will be Sephora’s first in New Zealand and is part of a larger push into Asia that will see Hong Kong and Korea added to the brand’s retail locations.

    “We believe that New Zealand will be a key market in building Sephora as the most loved beauty community in Asia, and the world,” said the president of Sephora Asia Benjamin Vuchot.

    “This expansion to a new market will allow Sephora to continue to amplify global beauty trends locally, elevate what our clients expect of the in-store experience and bring fresh, digital touch points to the retail environment to create a virtual, client-centric cycle.”

    Prior to its official announcement earlier this week, Sephora posted a series of job ads on Seek in April, looking for assistant store managers, category coordinators, stockroom managers and supervisors to fill out the Auckland flagship.

    The positions all indicated that prospective employees would need to be available for a recruitment event between May 7 and 8, pointing to an opening in the near future.

    Sephora interim general manager of Australia and New Zealand Pedro Coutinho said the store would be a beauty destination “like no other.”

    “We are so excited to introduce our renowned service offering, a suite of the most sought after beauty brands from around the world and a fun place for our clients to experience and explore their own beauty journey,” Coutinho said.

    “The Sephora client is the future – our customers are ahead of the trends, up to date with the latest brands and they want new products, now. We’ve listened to what our online clients want from Sephora, and this new Auckland location will help us deliver it.”

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  • LVMH finally makes Fenty fashion plans Public

    LVMH finally makes Fenty fashion plans Public

    The fashion industry’s worst-kept secret is now official: LVMH has, at last, confirmed it is extending its partnership with singer and celebrity Rihanna into fashion.

    “Everybody knows Rihanna as a wonderful singer, but through our partnership at Fenty Beauty, I discovered a true entrepreneur, a real CEO, and a terrific leader,” said LVMH chairman and CEO Bernard Arnault.

    As a result, LVMH and Robyn Rihanna Fenty will launch a new luxury Maison headquartered in Paris called Fenty. LVMH says it will be centered on Rihanna, developed by her, and will be shaped by her vision in ready to wear, shoes and accessories. It will launch in the Northern Hemisphere Spring of this year.

    “Designing a line like this with LVMH is an incredibly special moment for us,” said Rihanna. “Mr. Arnault has given me a unique opportunity to develop a fashion house in the luxury sector, with no artistic limits. I couldn’t imagine a better partner both creatively and business-wise, and I’m ready for the world to see what we have built together.”

    Arnault added: [Rihanna] naturally finds her full place within LVMH. To support Rihanna to start up the Fenty Maison, we have built a talented and multicultural team supported by the group resources. I am proud that LVMH is leading this venture and wish it will be a great success.”

    News of the new venture first broke in January when online portal WWD and the New York Times cited multiple unnamed sources confirming plans.

    The new Maison has launched a website: www.fenty.com

  • Pomelo Fashion boosts revenue by 5x with in-house tech stack forstreamlining vertical supply chain

    Pomelo Fashion boosts revenue by 5x with in-house tech stack forstreamlining vertical supply chain

    Omnichannel fast fashion company Pomelo builds a proprietary in-house technology stack to enable the seamless management of a complex vertical supply chain across its multiple locations and labels. This technology stack was developed to meet Pomelo’s changing logistical
    needs as it’s business model evolved from one based on private label sourcing to one that is fully vertically-integrated, allowing for control over every aspect of launching, building, and scaling a fashion brand.

    Named Henry after Henry Ford, who popularized the modern assembly line for mass production, Pomelo’s solutions stack forms the common foundation of its building and scaling strategy, and integrates all aspects of its processes from design, manufacturing, content creation, retailing (in-app, online, and in-store) to inventory optimization. Henry is used in Pomelo’s multiple labels and categories including Pomelo, PM, Alita, and BEET across a manufacturing base spanning Southeast Asia and China.

    “Our competitors are still using spreadsheets and paper purchase orders to manage a highly complex system of product development, manufacturing, and omnichannel retailing. As a fashion company with tech DNA, we’re building, from the ground up, a brand-new tech stack for today’s digital world that incorporates the latest in machine learning, big data, and automation,” says Lloyd Lin, Regional Vice President of Production. “We have always been focused on technology as a means to innovate key areas of the business, including our supply chain.”

    Managing Fashion Supply Chains in a Digital World Pomelo’s tech stack started as a simple back-end inventory tracker in 2015. Today, 4 years on, Henry is now capable of tracking the entirety of Pomelo’s supply chain in real-time and functions as the brand’s control center. It accurately manages profit margins and provides data-driven insights and analytics on customers’ purchase behaviors that simplify the design and purchasing teams’ buying decisions. With Henry’s help, Pomelo, and their customers, in turn, have enjoyed significant costs-savings.

    In the same vein, Pomelo’s supply chain has also seen further streamlining and innovation in 2018. The samples production process, essential to every new launch of which Pomelo has three weekly, is a long process involving multiple iterations and external vendors. In order to reduce material waste, production costs and time spent, Pomelo’s newly established samples lab automates the process of sample production. Managed entirely in-house, the lab is customized for Pomelo products, allowing for better quality control. In 2019, Pomelo plans to put in place a bidding process that allows production partners to bid on orders in their areas of specialization to further optimize the supply chain.

    The trailblazing startup, which terms itself a Digitally Native Vertical Brand (DNVB), focuses on innovating key areas of its business, like the supply chain, through technology. The results of Pomelo’s optimization push speak for themselves: in 2018, Pomelo dramatically expanded its range across labels by more than five times, and its total revenues by nearly the same amount.

    Pomelo’s technology team is primarily based in Bangkok, but also has developed resources in China and India. “The rate at which we continue to improve our technology is a long-term competitive advantage we are very excited about, and ultimately a key differentiator for Pomelo. We will continue investing in and strengthening our team, as well as our technology stack to ensure that we are setting the standard for how an omnichannel fashion brand anchored in today’s digital world should be managed.” says Pomelo CEO David Jou.

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  • Forever New Building Ouit Presence in North America

    Forever New Building Ouit Presence in North America

    Australian retailer Forever New is ramping up its presence in North America, with plans to launch a standalone website in the US, sell through major department stores, including Bloomingdales and Nieman Marcus, and open two new stores in Canada.

    The news, announced on Monday, is the latest sign of Forever New’s global aspirations. The brand has formed a string of partnerships with retailers around the world, including Asos and Next in the UK, Zalora in Singapore and Zalando in Europe, and last year, it revamped its website to better serve international customers.

    “Forever New has a unique product offering and our handwriting is not only relevant to the markets in the Southern Hemisphere but also in the Northern Hemisphere. We offer a real point of difference,” Carolyn Mackenzie, managing director of Forever New, told Inside Retail.

    Focus on third-party expansion

    According to Mackenzie, the retailer’s presence in the Canadian market over the last few years has sparked interest from American retailers.

    Forever New, which trades as Ever New in North America, appears to have four bricks-and-mortar stores in Canada – three in the Vancouver area, and one in Toronto. The retailer plans to open a second store in Toronto a new location in Calgary this year.

    The retailer started selling in the US market via Nordstrom.com in 2018, and on Monday, it announced it will launch a standalone website in the coming months. It will also launch offline in Bloomingdales and Nieman Marcus department stores, and expand its online presence via Nordstrom, Lulus, South Moon Under and Amazon.

    Mackenzie said the privately-held business is currently focusing its efforts on third-party and digital expansion, but that it may open standalone stores in the US in future.

    “Being an agile and fast-moving business means there is always the possibility…” she said.

    Broader transformation underway

    The ramp-up overseas is just part of the multi-faceted transformation currently underway at Forever New.

    In late 2018, it overhauled its global e-commerce platform to make the online shopping experience more seamless, and in 2019, it unveiled two first-to-market digital initiatives: a reserve-in-store option and visually-similar product recommendation tool.

    It has also launched a new high-end store concept designed by Hecker Guthrie, featuring terrazzo tiled floors, brushed brass detailing and fluted glass panels.

    “[T]he new store concept embodies the feminine signature of the brand,” Mackenzie said, calling it “the perfect backdrop to the brand’s distinctive designs and prints”.

    Next up for Forever New? More inclusive sizes.

    “Following on from the success of Forever New Petite and to ensure the accessibility of Forever New for all, we’re planning on expanding our category offering with ‘Forever New Curve’,” Mackenzie said.

    “Stay tuned for more details on these exciting initiatives.”

  • Philipp Plein opens First Single Brand Store in Singapore

    Philipp Plein opens First Single Brand Store in Singapore

    Switzerland-based fashion house Philipp Plein has opened its first single-brand store in Singapore.

    Located at Marina Bay Sands, the two-level flagship store spans ​​236sqm with separate entrances for the men’s and women’s areas.

    Menswear is located on the first floor, which is decorated with the brand’s distinctive crystal skull design. Clothing is arranged on the right-hand side of the shop, with accessories on the left.

    The womenswear collection of clothing and accessories is located on the second floor.

    The store is part of a broader expansion by the fashion house in Asia: more new stores will soon be opening in Seoul and Bangkok and another in Kuwait.

    Founded in 2008, Philipp Plein now has 250 single-brand stores worldwide.

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  • Superdry Struggling To Stay in the Game

    Superdry Struggling To Stay in the Game

    A poor fourth quarter has resulted in another profit warning from casualwear-brand Superdry and one analyst describes the embattled label as “struggling to remain relevant”.

    Amy Higginbotham, a retail analyst at GlobalData, the data and analytics company, said a poor fourth quarter has exacerbated Superdry’s woes and dragged down overall performance for the year.

    The company, reeling from a mass exodus of board members and senior executives in the wake of co-founder Julian Dunkerton’s return to an active role in the business, now expects its underlying profit before tax for the full year to be about 50 per cent down on last year’s £97 million.

    With the board distracted by the disruption caused by Dunkerton and his eventual return, Superdry’s group revenue dropped 4.5 per cent in the fourth quarter.

    “This was driven by a particularly poor performance in its wholesale and online divisions, which the retailer attributed to an increased volume of product returns and a reduction in promotional activity,” said Higginbotham.

    Group revenue remained flat at £871.7 million, while growth in wholesale and online revenues slowed significantly, and store sales dropped £14.4 million to £373 million.

    “The lack of detail regarding Dunkerton’s long term plans to turn the retailer’s fortunes around is not very reassuring, and investors will no doubt be eagerly awaiting a more detailed update in July with the publication of the retailer’s full-year results,” said Higginbotham.

    “Initial changes made by Dunkerton on his return have included reducing promotions to improve margins and supporting sales with more stock in flagship stores. He also plans to introduce 500 new products within the next six months, though the details of what these products are exactly remains unclear.”

    But she says Superdry will have to do a lot more if it is to regain its relevance amid tough competition from the likes of JD Sports and boohoo.com, which have much stronger brand appeal – and Superdry must be clear about which demographic it wishes to target.

    “Dunkerton has indicated that he does not intend to go ahead with the previous management’s plans to enter childrenswear, and will instead focus on targeting teenagers, though this will require the retailer to justify its high price points, which could be done using brand exclusives and celebrity endorsements.

    “The outlook for Superdry remains challenging. Though a new executive team will take Superdry in a much-needed new direction and eventually provide more stability, the board still lacks a clear strategy to turn the retailer’s fortunes around, and any new initiatives will take time to bear fruit.”

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  • Belstaff Japan Winding Down

    Belstaff Japan Winding Down

    The British luxury fashion retailer has six stores trading in the market, which it entered back in 2015 via a wholly owned subsidiary, opening its first store in March 2016.

    While the brand is making its direct exit, Belstaff Japan customers will still be able to buy its goods from authorized retailers, supplied from the UK head office.

    Belstaff has previously announced it is shifting its focus to selling online in the US and developing a wholesale distribution channel in Italy. The returns from the Belstaff Japan business were insufficient to continue to operate there.

  • Jason Wu’s designer brand Jwu Bought by Chinese Investors

    Jason Wu’s designer brand Jwu Bought by Chinese Investors

    New York fashion label Jwu under designer Jason Wu has been purchased by Chinese private equity fund Green Harbor.

    The acquisition was announced on Green Harbor’s WeChat account without disclosing the financial details of the transaction. It is the first time the firm has invested in an American company or an apparel brand.

    “China is a critically important market for luxury brands and is an integral part of our growth plans,”  said Jason Wu CEO Eddie Volchko. “Green Harbor’s knowledge and expertise in the Chinese market will be a significant resource to us as we continue to build Jason Wu’s presence in China.”

    An 11 percent shareholding in Jwu was purchased by Chinese firm Zhejiang Semir Garment Co last year.

    The deal is likely to boost Jason Wu’s presence in China, which is expected to overtake the US as the largest fashion market this year.

    “As Jason Wu further expands its business in the Chinese market,” read the Green Harbor WeChat statement, “our firm’s experience will help the brand reshape its management team, strengthen marketing and sales, and provide resources across media, real estate, and finance to help the label develop in China and obtain commercial success.”

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  • Hugo Boss in Asia Down in latest Quarter

    Hugo Boss in Asia Down in latest Quarter

    Sales by Hugo Boss in Asia rose by 4 percent in the latest quarter.

    However, the German fashion company observed that double-digit growth in Mainland China overshadowed a “tougher” market environment in Hong Kong and Macau.

    Worldwide sales rose by 4 percent, a rate tempered by an 8 percent decline in currency-adjusted terms in the US market.

    First-quarter operating profit fell 22 percent to €55 million on sales of €664 million.

    While Hugo Boss’ share price has slumped by 19 percent over the past year, the company says its performance has been impacted by reorganization costs, higher marketing spends and the strength of the dollar.

    Finance chief Yves Mueller said the revamp of key stores should boost the company’s performance with New York and Tokyo flagships already performing well since their reopening and renovations of others in Paris and Chicago soon to be completed.

    “Store optimizations will drive performance,” he told an analysts briefing.

    A shift in focus to a younger target demographic is also paying dividends for Hugo Boss. Sales of its Hugo brand of casual wear rose in the double digits, compensating for flat sales of the core Boss brand and a marginal decline in business apparel.

    First-quarter online sales rose by 26 percent and the company plans to continue to invest in digitalization.

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  • Online fashion retailers Starting to Limit Free Deliveries

    Online fashion retailers Starting to Limit Free Deliveries

    Zalando, Europe’s largest online-only fashion retailer, has said it will begin to charge delivery for smaller orders across more markets in response to shrinking order size.

    The e-commerce business initially enjoyed rapid growth due to its free delivery and returns, but the rise of mobile commerce has changed customer behaviour, with the size of orders getting smaller, driving up logistics costs.

    Zalando has already introduced a minimum order value to qualify for free delivery in Italy, Spain, Britain and Ireland, which has had no effect on customer satisfaction, according to the company’s finance chief David Schroeder.

    The initiative now will be extended to Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway at the end of May.

    The move echoes H&M’s announcement last month that it would reintroduce delivery fees for its loyalty club members to cut down on similar logistics costs and restore profitability.

    “We have a lot of logistics around the customers that shop online,” H&M head of customer loyalty Samuel Holst told.

    “For the plus level, deliveries will remain free for all purchases, but for the base level there will be a cap. You will need to shop for a certain amount to get free delivery.”

    While many retailers have invested significant sums in designing their websites and ad campaigns for mobile, these changes suggest that more work is needed to adapt retail businesses to the smartphone era.

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  • La Chapelle sales Slump Again

    La Chapelle sales Slump Again

    La Chapelle sales slumped 21 per cent in the first quarter to RMB2.372 billion (US$352 million) as the Hong Kong-listed fashion retailer continued its restructuring.

    The troubled retailer has closed 1877 loss-making and inefficient stores in the past year, leaving it with 9540 at the end of March, and representing the shuttering of one in five directly operated outlets.

    Net profit attributable to shareholders plunged 94.4 per cent to RMB9.751 million (US$1.44 million).

    In a shareholder update, La Chapelle said weak consumer confidence and the continued overall negligible growth of apparel spending compared with the second half of last year had also impacted on sales in the March quarter.

    According to the National Bureau of Statistics data, Mainland China sales of shoes, hats and apparel grew by just 3.3 per cent year on year, a rate five percentage points less than the growth rate of all consumer goods sales.

    “Furthermore, the Chinese New Year holiday of 2019 was 11 days earlier than that of 2018, which had an adverse effect on the sales of winter products for the first quarter. The revenues of the ladies’ apparel brands such as La Chapelle, Puella, 7 Modifier as well as La Babite for the first quarter had a year-on-year decrease of 26.65 per cent, 29.76 per cent, 22.91 per cent and 23.06 per cent respectively, which is mainly due to the decrease in direct-sale stores, the change in numbers of ultimate consumers, and the increase in proportion of sales of obsolete inventories,” the company said.

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