Retail News CRM

Tag: Fashion

  • Dunhill menswear store opens in Tokyo

    Dunhill menswear store opens in Tokyo

    A new Dunhill menswear store has opened inside Japanese department store Isetan. The new outlet, located in the department store’s new men’s annex, is designed to showcase the best of British luxury menswear while conveying an approachable aesthetic. Engineered to create an engaging contemporary space, core decorative elements in the store include fluted stainless steel (a visual reference to the textures and finishes of the iconic Rollagas lighter) alongside marble, leather and metal – all recognisable codes of the brand.

    Dunhill menswea - Isetan 1

    Walnut burl details feature throughout the space, inspired by the original furniture from London’s Duke Street and Paris’ Rue de la Paix stores.

    Dunhill menswea - Isetan 2

     

    A statement from the brand said the new store marks “over 125 years of innovation for Dunhill and Japan’s most iconic department store”.

    Dunhill menswea - Isetan 4

    Featuring a curated selection of luxury pieces, the store will house ready-to-wear garments alongside leather goods and fine accessories.

    Dunhill menswea - Isetan 5

    Dunhill has more than 90 stores in 16 countries, with noteworthy locations in London, New York, Paris, Tokyo, Osaka, Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong and Dubai.

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  • Chinese Streetwear brand INXX Expands

    Chinese Streetwear brand INXX Expands

    Chinese streetwear brand INXX is officially launching its US e-commerce site.

    “We want to open up to a broader market and develop more forward-looking and global design paths while forming our own symbols,” said co-founder Henry Mao.

    Targeting global youth, INXX achieved US$3.5 million in sales on China’s 2018 Single’s Day and is now setting sights on the major fashions of worldwide street trends. By keeping roots in its blended Asian streetwear background, the brand has been able to forge a strong identity while growing into new markets.

    INXX made its 2018 debut with a presentation on Vfiles. In its showcase at New York Fashion Week SS19, INXX blended craftsmanship with an underground urban street aesthetic, mixing surreal grungy graphics and a strong focus on design detail to achieve “a look without boundaries”.

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  • Zara growth slows down

    Zara growth slows down

    Zara growth is slowing substantially and analysts fear worse is to come.

    The fast-fashion brand’s Spanish parent Inditex says the slowing growth is due to a stronger euro, flat margins, less-frequent discounting and a store optimisation strategy that focuses on larger stores in prime locations and online growth at the expense of smaller stores.

    While the retail giant reported a 7 per cent sales increase at constant currency rates year on year to €26.1 billion, this was less than half the rate of growth the company reported a few years ago, Morgan Stanley said in a note.

    “[W]e believe it is evidence that the group’s growth profile is slowing sharply,” Morgan Stanley said.

    Like-for-like sales grew 4 per cent in last financial year, compared to 5 per cent in 2017. Online sales grew 27 per cent to €3.2 billion, or 12 per cent of net sales. This is on the low end for an apparel company, where online penetration tends to be higher.

    Inditex opened 370 stores during the year, and closed 355, which was nearly twice as many as the 200 stores it said it was planning to close last year. This may have had an impact on sales growth , an investor told, but could prove to be the right strategy long term.

    The group increased gross new space in prime locations by 8 per cent and is continuing to roll out its omnichannel store format, which integrates bricks-and-mortar and online channels. The group said it sees strong opportunities for growth in this space going forward.

    Inditex said global online sales are on track. Zara launched online in Australia and New Zealand last March and entered an additional 106 markets online in November, bringing the total number of markets it sells online in to 202.

    The company has reported a profit of €3.44 billion for the year, up 2 per cent on the previous year.

    In its first five weeks of the new fiscal year, the group lifted store and online sales 7 per cent at constant-currency rates. The company said it expects like-for-like sales to grow between 4 and 6 per cent this fiscal year, and gross space in prime locations to grow between 5 and 6 per cent.

    The fashion giant expects to open around 300 stores and close around 250 in the year ahead. As at  January 31, Inditex had 7490 stores worldwide across the Zara, Pull & Bear, Massimo Dutti, Bershka, Stradivarius, Oysho and Uterque brands.

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  • French Connection brighter future

    French Connection brighter future

    UK fashion retailer French Connection has recorded another massive loss – which overshadowed a milestone improvement in underlying profit.

    For the full year to January 31, the company’s operating loss almost tripled, from £3.8 million (US$4.97 million) the previous year to £9.3 million ($12.2 million).

    However for the first time in seven years, French Connection’s achieved an underlying profit, a somewhat modest £100,000 which was a stark contrast to the previous year’s £2.1 million loss.

    In what the company described as a “tough” trading environment, sales fell 10.6 per cent overall, or by 6.8 per cent on a like-for-like basis, to £58.4 million.

    While figures were not released for the brand’s Hong Kong sales, the company said shipments to its partners there and in Australia reduced during the year.

    The company is continuing to close stores. During the last five years it has reduced its store count by more than half, and currently has 96 standalone stores and 195 franchised and licensed stores worldwide. Nine more are slated for closure this year.

    However, wholesale sales rose 10.3 per cent to £76.9 million in the UK, Europe and North America, which drove group revenue up by 0.2 per cent year on year to £135.3 million.

    “I am pleased that we have achieved our target of returning the group to underlying profitability this financial year,” said CEO Stephen Marks.

    ”This is only part of our overall journey, however it represents a significant achievement given the results over recent years.

    ”This has been achieved despite the ongoing difficult retail trading environment in the UK and is the result of the changes we have made in all areas of the business to adapt to the ever evolving markets in which we operate.

    ”While we still have a way to go to return the business to an appropriate level of profitability, I believe that we have made and continue to make significant progress.”

    GlobalData senior retail analyst Sofie Willmott said French Connection’s “more subtle brand handwriting fails to stand out” against more distinctive players such as Ted Baker, Reiss and Whistles, which all have a clear design direction.

    “To return to like-for-like growth, French Connection must give consumers a clear reason to shop with the brand by refining its range,” she said.

    “French Connection has got a hard slog ahead. As consumer confidence is expected to remain low this year, the retailer must better define its brand identity and point of difference to both convince a buyer it has future growth potential, and to attract shoppers back.”

    Marks said talks are continuing on a potential sale of French Connection.

  • H&M announces opening date of new Botany store

    H&M announces opening date of new Botany store

    H&M has announced the opening date of another bricks-and-mortar store in New Zealand, with the launch of Botany Town Centre location set for 2 May 2019.

    The retailer currently operates four stores in the country, with plans to open a 5th location at Tauranga Crossing on 4 April 2019, making the Botany store its 6th location.

    Last week, the fast fashion giant revealed there is already a 7th store in the works. It is set to open at Chartwell Shopping Centre this winter.

    The Botany Town Centre shop marks H&M’s third location in Auckland, following the opening of H&M at Sylvia Park Shopping Centre in October 2016 and Commercial Bay in 2018.

    Spanning approximately 2000sqm, the single-level store will showcase apparel and accessories for men, women, kids and baby.

    “We are thrilled to finally announce the opening date for our third Auckland store, and look forward to greeting our customers with an incredible fashion destination within a superb shopping centre” said Daniel Lattemann, country sales manager for H&M New Zealand.

    H&M entered the New Zealand market in 2016.

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  • David Jones plans board expansion

    David Jones plans board expansion

    David Jones’ South African parent company Woolworths Holdings has appointed two independent non-executive directors, David Kneale and Thembisa Skweyiya, effective March 11 2019.

    The business said it plans to add further non-executive directors moving forward.

    Skweyiya has previously held positions at Citigroup and Nedbank Capital, has been a non-executive director of Rothschild, and has risk, audit, social and ethics and sustainability committee experience at both public and private companies.

    Currently, Skweyiya serves as a non-executive director on the boards of Imperial Logistics Limited, Liberty Holdings Limited, Sumitomo Rubber South Africa Limited and Jonsson Workwear Limited.

    Kneale has over 40 years of local and international retail experience in senior leadership and executive roles, according the Woolworths Holdings, having previously been the chief executive of Clicks Group between 2006 and 2019.

    Kneale held senior retail positions at Boots plc, and served as the chief commercial officer and managing director of International Retail Development, as well as managing director at Waterstone’s Booksellers for approximately two years.

    The appointments are made as the group chief executive Ian Moir is stepping in to fill the shoes of departed David Jones boss David Thomas while the search for a replacement continues.

    Thomas had been in the position for almost 18 months, and resigned abruptly, citing personal reasons. He had been the target of an internal discrimination complaint last year, but was cleared of any wrongdoing in November 2018.

  • Hypebeast Japan to launch with on-boarding of Akihiro Wajima, former Director of Farfetch Japan

    Hypebeast Japan to launch with on-boarding of Akihiro Wajima, former Director of Farfetch Japan

    Hypebeast Ltd. is pleased to announce the official launch of Hypebeast Japan Ltd., grounding its cultural influence in the region and marking another step in furthering expansion in Asia. The Company is also pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Akihiro Wajima, former director of Farfetch Japan, as the new Managing Director of Hypebeast Japan Ltd., who will play an instrumental role in leading the Hypebeast Japan team to success and continue to push forward its market share. Japan is known for its impressive lens and unique take on expressing local and global culture. Hypebeast Japan, being one of Hypebeast’s flagship language sites, has been steadily building a distinctive editorial voice for its streetwear, music and lifestyle space in the country.

    “Japan is one of my favorite places in the world – it’s one of the top places globally for cultural opportunities, and possesses an inquisitive, progressive and ready audience to the types of activations, content curation, e-commerce services, and creative production which are indigenous to Hypebeast,” said Kevin Ma, CEO of Hypebeast Ltd. “We are ready to take our business in Japan to the next level. As a first step, we will focus on expanding local editorial coverage and content in Japan, which will help to connect its unique cultural voice to the rest of the world through our Hypebeast platform.”

    “I am pleased to lead Hypebeast Japan Ltd. and help the team to achieve a new level. Along with Kevin Ma and the team, I am sure we will achieve something exciting together and build a strong presence in Japan,” said Akihiro Wajima.

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  • Le Saunda sales plunge with 30 per cent

    Le Saunda sales plunge with 30 per cent

    Le Saunda sales plunged 30 per cent in the fourth quarter as the embattled shoe retailer struggles to attract customers.

    According to a stock exchange filing, sales at Le Saunda’s self-owned stores fell by 29.9 per cent in the quarter, with same-store sales declining 17.4 per cent.

    That followed a cull of 161 stores over 12 months across Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau.

    Sales by the group’s e-commerce business fell by 4.1 per cent, compared with the same period last year.

    Le Saunda has 526 stores remaining across its three markets, with 464 of them self-owned and 62 franchised on the mainland.

    The company said it expects the group to record a net loss attributable to shareholders for the 2018-19 financial year, primarily attributable to the decrease in sales, and a declining gross profit margin. Le Saunda did not give an estimate for the loss.

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  • PVH opens third Tommy Hilfiger store

    PVH opens third Tommy Hilfiger store

    US-based PVH Corporation opened its 13th full-price Tommy Hilfiger store in Australia on Friday, just days after the fashion brand held its Tommy Now runway event in Paris, featuring a collection designed in partnership with American actress and brand ambassador, Zendaya.

    The new store, located in Sydney’s Mosman suburb, showcases the TommyXZendaya collection and the brand’s Spring 2019 collection, in keeping with Tommy Hilfiger’s early adoption of the ‘see now, buy  now’ runway trend. Customers can also shop the brand’s denim collection and newly launched men’s and women’s sportswear collections.

    The store, which opened on International Women’s Day, also offers the brand’s IWD capsule collection, which features t-shirts and sweaters with inspirational slogans, such as: “Be the change” and “Powerful”. The brand is donating $1 from every style sold to the International Women’s Development Agency, a non-profit that works to advance women’s rights and gender equality in Asia Pacific.

    Spanning 130sqm, the store design reflects Tommy Hilfiger’s new global retail concept, which fuses the brand’s American heritage with clean, modern finishes and a bright, airy aesthetic. A high-resolution digital screen showcases the brand’s latest global campaigns for an immersive brand experience.

    The Mosman store is the third Tommy Hilfiger store to open in the past eight months in Australia, reflecting the parent company’s efforts to minimise its exposure to Myer and other struggling department stores by increasing its retail presence. The brand opened a store in Burwood, NSW, in June 2018 and in Perth, WA, in October. The brand also launched an online presence in Australia in September.

    In a presentation to investors in May 2018, PVH Brands Australia, a 50-50 joint venture between PVH and local apparel retailer Gazal Corporation, which held the licences for  Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein and Van Heusen in the local market, said it would open 34 stores across the brands in the coming years.

    Since then, PVH has announced an agreement to acquire Gazal. The closing, which is subject to shareholder, court and regulatory approvals, is expected to occur in the second quarter of 2019.

    Tommy Hilfiger operates 1800 stores in over 100 countries around the world.

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  • Chloe’s brand new flagship opens in Seoul

    Chloe’s brand new flagship opens in Seoul

    French fashion house Chloe has opened a new flagship in Seoul.

    The new 386sqm two-story boutique in the luxury shopping district of Cheongdam features an eye-catching facade consisting of beige marble stones and the maison’s logo in brass.

    Chloe flagship - Seoul 1

    The first floor entrance ushers clients into the accessories and small leather goods section, while on the second floor the full collection is hung up on brass rails, sitting alongside footwear.

    Chloe flagship - Seoul 2

    Furnishings and decor are used to express the brand’s vocabulary, mirroring the maison’s flagship boutique on avenue Montaigne which contrasts a light femininity with robust architectural details and raw mineral materials.

    Chloe flagship - Seoul 3

     

    Chloe flagship - Seoul 4

    Tender curvilinear forms on the ceiling, floor and furniture echo the roundness of the letters in the Chloe logo, while a palette of white and powdery beige rose warmed by mustard and polished natural brass illuminate the space.

    Vintage designer furniture is found on the second floor, which includes a private VIP space.

  • Estée Lauder Wants to Maximise Every Second of your Beauty Sleep

    Estée Lauder Wants to Maximise Every Second of your Beauty Sleep

    Join us as Estée Lauder celebrates its first ever Power of Night exclusive pop-up. Visit us from 23th to 24th March (11am to 8pm) to understand how modern life affects our skin and discover our iconic Advanced Night Repair serum maximises skin repair with every second of beauty sleep. Learn how a lack of sleep* and constant exposure to blue light** accelerates skin ageing, causes fine lines and a loss of firmness and pigmentation.

    As a leader in skin repair for over 35 years, Estée Lauder continuously studies the key factors behind visible skin ageing. Research shows that a lack of sleep not only affects our skin’s natural reparative process but also accelerates premature signs of skin ageing.

    Sleeping less than five hours every night increases the impact of stress on the body, resulting in a breakdown of collagen and elastin, causing it to be more susceptible to damage caused by environmental aggressors*.

    Modern life equals multiple skin assaults and the constant exposure to blue light, especially at night, disrupts the skin’s natural repair process and causes accelerated skin ageing**.

    It is no surprise then that a good night’s sleep is not only important to recharge the body but also helps keep skin youthful and healthy.

    Beauty Sleep In Progress

    During our exclusive pop-up, learn about Estée Lauder’s iconic Advanced Night Repair in the Living Room. Through an interactive night discovery quiz, discover how our patented ChronoluxCB™ Technology works with the body’s natural circadian rhythm to boost skin repair and renewal functions for a radiant and youthful look when you wake.

    In the bedroom, explore different ways of using Advanced Night Repair serum with our Power Of Night film series muses Joanne Peh, Nurul Aini and Oon Shu An and journey with them through our Insta-worthy beauty stations. Learn beauty hacks with Estée Lauder’s breakthrough repair serum for all your beauty occasions by strengthening the skin, improving hydration and enhancing your skin’s glow.

    Take our discovery quiz and bring home your very own Advanced Night Repair serum sample to kick start your Advanced Night Repair beauty regimen.

    Create your customised bedtime renewal routine and steal the spotlight with our Pro Artists using our best-selling Double Wear Stay-in-Place Foundation and our new luxury lipstick collection Pure Color Desire.

    Scribe your sleep resolutions on the Sleeping Beauties Wall and join us in spreading the love for Advanced Night Repair by posting your favourite sleeping beauty images on the ‘gram. Tag your photos with the event hashtags to enter the Estée Lauder #PowerOfNightSG Instagram contest, and stand a chance to win a full-size bottle of Advanced Night Repair.

    Unleash the power of night with Singapore’s #1 serum — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair.

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  • Dune London about to open in Singapore

    Dune London about to open in Singapore

    Footwear brand Dune London is planning to expand into Singapore and Bangkok this year.

    The brand says expansion into new international markets is one of its core strategies for this year.

    In the UK, the brand will expand its standalone store network by opening a new location in Newcastle Eldon Square and opening outlet stores in Cheshire Oaks, Icon O2 and Kildare Village.

    South America is another focus area, and Dune plans to roll out eight new concessions with its existing partner in Chile. It will also debut in Romania.

    “This is a very exciting time for Dune London, as international expansion is a focal part of our overall growth strategy,” said James Cox, CEO.

    “We will focus our efforts on specific markets with best-in-class support strategies and tactical initiatives that are regionally appropriate and perfectly aligned with our product and marketing investments.”

    Dune has opened 10 new concessions in department stores in Mainland China, two in Macau and one in Hong Kong, as well as new standalone stores in Kuala Lumpur; Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi in Vietnam; and Manila in the Philippines.

    In the Middle East, it trades in more than 50 locations.

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  • Pomelo Fashion Beefs Up Management Team with Key Hires from Across SEA

    Pomelo Fashion Beefs Up Management Team with Key Hires from Across SEA

    Pomelo, a leading omnichannel fashion company headquartered in Bangkok, announced the appointment of Jim Boland, former CFO of RedMart, to Pomelo’s core team as its new CFO. As part of Pomelo’s strategic approach to recent key hires, Boland’s appointment will see him
    building up Pomelo’s financial infrastructure to drive profitability while enabling rapid growth across the region. Boland has successfully led finance organisations in fast-growing ecommerce businesses for over 19 years in leadership roles at Amazon, Dell and Alibaba-owned RedMart.
    ”I am delighted to join this innovative company which has designed a business model strategically suited to grow fast and profitably.

    As a digitally native, vertically integrated omnichannel brand, Pomelo presents an exciting opportunity to leverage my past experience with vertical integration, retail, and ecommerce, especially during the critical scaling up phase.” said Boland. With Boland’s new role as CFO, Pomelo’s Co-founder and former CFO, Casey Liang transitions to enhance Pomelo’s growth team which encompasses the performance marketing and business intelligence teams. This cross-functional team will work closely with the engineering, design, and product teams to accelerate customer acquisition and retention.

    “As we continue in this period of rapid expansion, I am excited to foster more coordination between our creative and technical teams to further accelerate our growth rate and help more customers to experience Pomelo’s unique value proposition“ said Liang. Commenting on Pomelo’s spate of new hires, David Jou, CEO of Pomelo says “We’re excited to have Jim on-board as we continue on the path of building the first global fast fashion brand out of Asia.” Jim Boland’s appointment reinforces Pomelo’s commitment to investing in key talent across Southeast Asia.

    In Q4 2018, Pomelo also welcomed aboard Cathriona Nolan as its AVP of Creative Operations, and Vorada Hiransomboon as its AVP of Buying. Previously from Burberry, Nolan brings extensive creative experience in brand development and marketing to the table to strengthen Pomelo’s creative direction, while Hiransomboon, most recently former Head of Buying at Inditex, leads the buying and merchandising team with her keen knowledge of market trends and efficient supply chain management.

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  • Islamic clothing market growing to US$88bn by 2025

    Islamic clothing market growing to US$88bn by 2025

    The global Islamic clothing market is expected to reach US$88.35 billion by 2025, according to a new report by US marketing and consulting firm Grand View Research. Increasing expenditure by Islamic populations on lifestyle and apparels, especially among the wealthy, elite, and traditional Middle Eastern populations, is expected to propel demand.

    In 2017, ethnic wear accounted for 70.9 per cent market share, in terms of revenue, owing to rising demand for abayas, hijabs, thobes and jubbas in countries with a high Islamic population. The burkha and naqaab segment is expected to expand at a CAGR of 5.4 per cent from 2017 to 2025, owing to increasing demand from Middle Eastern countries – including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Iraq.

    Sustainable fashion is expected to register a CAGR of 4.9 per cent over the forecast period on account of the shifting focus of leading fashion brands towards the development of innovative clothing options for the younger population. The Asia-Pacific region accounted for 31.3 per cent of revenue in 2017, with more than 63 per cent of the world’s Muslim population located in Indonesia, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Morocco.

    Key players operating in the Islamic clothing market include House of Fraser, Marks & Spencer, Aab, H&M, and Mango, which are catering to the rising demand for diverse options from different parts of the world.

    Major countries outside the Western fashion industry contributing to a significant share include Malaysia, Turkey, and Indonesia, where the industry is highly lucrative.

    However the research says controversies around losing the ethnic value of Muslim clothing due to its shift towards mainstream fashion industry may hamper market growth. Initiation of various marketing campaigns by industry players in line with maintaining the core of the Muslim precepts – Sharia, or the Islamic law – is projected to propel growth of the Islamic clothing market.

    In addition, increasing demand for modest-yet-fashionable clothing, especially from the younger generation with high purchasing power, is likely to complement market growth.

    Increasing reservations regarding over-commercialisation of what is primarily meant to be a rigorous religious mandate can pose a challenge to market players. In addition, involvement of multinational fashion brands is projected to restrain growth of the small Islamic clothing companies.

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  • Uniqlo Japan sales down

    Uniqlo Japan sales down

    Fast Retailing Group has reported a decline in revenues for Uniqlo Japan against broader successes internationally in its first quarter.

    A sharp profit decline on sluggish sales of seasonal ranges during a warm winter in Japan has given rise to disappointing results in the Uniqlo brand’s home territory. Uniqlo Japan posted revenues of ¥246.1 billion (US$2.27 billion), a decrease of 4.3 per cent year on year, with first-quarter profit before taxes of ¥111 billion ($1.03 billion), down 5.7 per cent; and profit attributable to owners of the parent firm of ¥73.4 billion ($678.4 million), down 6.4 per cent. Online sales expanded favourably in the market, however, showing an increase of 30.9 per cent.

    Uniqlo International saw an operating profit far exceeding that of Uniqlo Japan, with revenues at ¥291.3 billion (2.69 billion) up 12.8 per cent.

    Uniqlo Greater China and Uniqlo South Korea both reported higher sales and profits despite the dampening effect of the warm winter. Uniqlo Southeast Asia & Oceania continued to report significant revenue and profit gains.

    The report said Fast Retailing’s consolidated business estimates for the financial year ending August 31 remain unchanged from the initial forecasts released last October, predicting an 8 per cent expansion in revenue and 14.3 per cent increase in operating profits.