Retail News CRM

Tag: Fashion

  • India Ancestry opens first store in Kolkata

    India Ancestry opens first store in Kolkata

    The newest brand from Future Style Lab, Ancestry, which launched its maiden store in the capital city in May, has recently opened its first store in Kolkata, South City Mall. The brand, which presents a contemporary take on traditional Indian fashion and lifestyle, has earned many accolades in India’s fashion circles already and seems all geared up to woo Kolkatites too.

    Ancestry is inspired by the evolving face of the new age Indian who is self-assured, professionally competent and curious to discover new paths. The brand’s offering, encompassing women’s apparel & accessories, home furnishings, and other lifestyle products, is constantly evolving and is in line with international trends, and yet interestingly rooted in Indian heritage and crafts.

    With pricing that is perfectly suited to any urban Indian’s pockets, Ancestry’s unique collection of dresses, tops, and tunics are created completely using natural fabrics, thereby offering an unmatched quality and fashion sensibilities in that price range. This is one of the key reasons why the brand’s products have nearly flown off the shelves at its current stores in Delhi and Mumbai.

    For the new store launch, Manjula Tiwari, CEO at Future Style Lab, the parent company of Ancestry, said, “Ancestry provides an unparalleled, modern-day experience of old-style Indian artistries, and we’re sure that the brand’s offering will find much love and appreciation with our consumers in Kolkata. We’re truly excited about launching this store, and are thankful to South City Mall for providing us with an impeccable space and opportunity, right in the heart of Kolkata.”

    Ancestry’s tagline #StoriesRetold, perfectly sums up its ethos, for every line of products the brand comes up with tells the story of a particular craft or tradition, but in a way that is suited to the new-age lifestyle.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Samsonite to support global fight against plastic bottles

    Samsonite to support global fight against plastic bottles

    Samsonite has launched an eco luggage collection for Asia made of Recyclex, a material comprising 100 per cent post-consumer recycled plastic (PET) bottles. As part of its public-facing environmental program, Samsonite has been working with one of its suppliers to create sustainable materials suitable for travel and lifestyle products. The company claims its new innovation Recyclex is as durable and reliable as Samsonite’s polyester fabric made from virgin materials, with the added benefit of reducing plastic waste.

    Subrata Dutta, president of Samsonite Asia Pacific said sustainability is a priority that runs through Samsonite’s products.

    “We recognise that travellers are increasingly aware of environmental protection and looking for ways to reduce their environmental footprint … We expect to generate stronger awareness of environmental protection in the market, and will continue to seek opportunities to maximise the use of recycled and recyclable materials in our products and packaging.”

    The products consumed more than 400,000 recycled plastic bottles in Asia. On some items, cork serves as an alternative for the polyurethane trim on the carry handles, logo, ID tag and back protection.

    Over the next two years, Samsonite will launch at least 30 product lines worldwide made from recycled materials such as rPET and recycled polypropylene.

  • Korea’s brand Tonymoly inked partnership with Moschino

    Korea’s brand Tonymoly inked partnership with Moschino

    Italian fashion design house Moschino has released a collaboration with South Korean cosmetics brand Tonymoly on a collection of makeup and skincare products. The collection includes a cosmetics line and a few skincare items in sleek black, white, gold and rainbow packaging. The full range will be available from Tonymoly’s US web store throughout December.

    Moschino also collaborated on a reportedly fast-selling fashion line with H&M earlier this year. South Korean cosmetics brand Tonymoly sees the US as a key market in its plan to accelerate international growth.

    Lees ook:

  • Demand of women’s athleisure wear growing at a rapid pace globally : Lotto

    Demand of women’s athleisure wear growing at a rapid pace globally : Lotto

    Lotto Sport Italia S.P.A, a major name in international sports industry, is nothing less than a household name in India. The brand is manufactured, retailed and licensed by Sports Station Pvt Ltd (SSIPL) in India. The organization has been instrumental in the brilliant re-launch of the brand Lotto Sports in India, making it available across nation.

    According to Shivam Kataria, Vice President, SSIPL Retail, since Lotto has been in India from a very long period of time, either customers have grown up wearing the brand or are aspiring to wear it. “The brand awareness of Lotto is so strong in India that many customers instead of considering it as an Italian brand, think that it is an Indian brand.”

    Abroad, the brand is associated with football and tennis. But it gained its share of popularity in India in the running segment. Slowly and gradually as the Indian market followed international trends and inclined towards the athleisure segment from performance wear, Lotto has also changed its perspective.

    “The Athleisure market is poised to grow 15-20 percent year-on-year. Seeing the immense scope in the category going ahead, Lotto also started changing its outlook towards the market by expanding into the athleisure segment. However, the running segment, football and tennis shoes remain core to the brand,” states Kataria.

    Explaining it further, he says, “A majority of people across the globe have started participating in sports, not for competition but for their well-being, for interaction and for fun. They want sportswear which can be worn in the morning, afternoon and evening. They want to feel comfortable wearing the same shoes in office as well as to a club, and this is the major reason behind the rising demand of athleisure.”

    Another category which has seen a spike in demand at Lotto is women’s wear.

    “Currently, 30 percent revenue is coming from the women’s segment. We are targeting to close this year with 30 percent contribution from women customer including footwear and apparel,” asserts Kataria.

    Target Consumer

    The brand caters to modern-day consumers who consider fitness a lifestyle. It also focuses towards catering to the needs of serious sports enthusiasts. Lotto is also positioned as a brand, which delivers international standard sports merchandise to Indian sport enthusiasts.

    Omnichannel Strategy

    According to Kataria, there are two ways to go Omnichannel – to have your own website or to partner with various e-commerce players. “We have partnered with various e-commerce players as cost of customer acquisition is quite high with our portal.”

    “Omnichannel is still evolving in India and in the next six months to one year, the entire system around Omnichannel is expected to get cemented,” he explains. Going forward, Lotto is planning to introduce their own e-commerce portal.

    “Store integration from an Omnichannel perspective is underway and we can expect it to be fully functional in six months,” he states The brand, which has men’s footwear as the fastest moving category, gets 25 percent contribution to the overall revenue from online business.

    Future Plans

    At present, the brand has 36 EBOs across major locations in Delhi/ NCR, UP, Haryana, Maharashtra, West Bengal, MP, J&K, Uttrakhand and Gujarat. It has presence in over 200+ MBO’s including Sports Station, Reliance Footprints, Pantaloons, and leading e-com portals like Flipkart, Amazon, Snapdeal and Jabong.

    Elaborating on the expansion plans of the brand, Kataria reveals, “This fiscal, we are planning to open more 15 EBOs in North, East and South regions and add another 25-30 stores next fiscal. Our plan is to double the store count in one year’s time.”

    “In the next fiscal we will be adding 100 more SIS. We are also looking forward into new categories like bags, luggage and light fitness equipment,” he adds.

    At the same time, the brand is expanding the categories like women’s wear and apparel. According to Kataria, Tier I and Metro cities are where Lotto’s business is and Tier II and beyond is where its growth lies.

    The brand, which has been growing on 35-40 percent year-on-year, plans to grow at the same scale this fi scal too.

    “The same store sales growth has been flatish or slightly negative as compared to last year. However, we are expecting to see a good season from January onwards,” he says.

    The sportswear brand, which endorses the best of athletes in the sports arena including major names like Luca Toni, David Ferrer, Agnieszka Radwanska, Carla Suarez Navarro, Kevin Anderson and many more, is targeting Rs 150 crore plus revenue in India.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Lazada to tackle counterfeit Korean products more seriously

    Lazada to tackle counterfeit Korean products more seriously

    Lazada has pledged to remove any counterfeit South Korean goods from its platform in a Memorandum of Understanding signed with the Korea Intellectual Property Protection Agency (KOIPA). It is reportedly the first time a Southeast Asian e-commerce company has reached an agreement with the Korean IP regulator and reflects the growing popularity of Korean beauty and fashion products online across Asia.

    Korean brands online and considered at risk from counterfeit products include Etude House, Innisfree, Laneige, Mamonde and 3CE.

    “The combined followers for [those brands’] Lazada flagship stores are more than 200,000,” Gladys Chun, general counsel and head of government affairs at Lazada Group said.

    “Laneige, Mamonde, Innisfree and 3CE were top search terms in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam during the recent Lazada 11.11 Shopping Festival.”

    Lazada has undertaken to remove any counterfeit goods from sale on its platform when alerted by brand owners, once it has confirmed authenticity. Sellers caught trying to sell copy goods on its site face blacklisting.

    “Such measures to curb illicit trading of goods on Lazada are aimed at boosting the confidence and preserving the trust of shoppers on our platform,” Chun said.

    “At Lazada, we respect and collaborate with rights holders in safeguarding their IP through a combination of proactive and reactive measures. It is incumbent on us to create that trusted space for shoppers and brands, giving them the peace-of-mind that we will always be acting in their best interests.”

    Lees ook:

  • Zara lipstick launched online

    Zara lipstick launched online

    Zara lipstick goes on sale this week – but only online. The fast-fashion brand’s first lipstick collection – called Zara Ultimatte – marks a continuing expansion of its beauty and cosmetics offer. Sister brands Bershka and Pull&Bear already have makeup lines, targeting younger consumers.

    Parent company Inditex says the collection was “inspired by the kind of makeup needed to create ad campaigns”. It is based on a colour palette created by British make-up artist Pat McGrath, (famous for working with Christian Dior and Armani Beauty, among others).

    The French-made Zara lipstick collection was designed in Los Angeles, featuring 12 high-pigment lipsticks, eight liquid-matte lipsticks, a box kit with three red colours and a limited-edition, behind-the-scenes kit. Prices range from €7.95 to €19.95. While available only on the Zara website, the company will ship worldwide.

    Lees ook:

  • Malabar Gold to expand into Hong Kong market

    Malabar Gold to expand into Hong Kong market

    Indian jewellery firm Malabar Gold & Diamonds is making plans to open 500 more outlets globally over the next five years – and Hong Kong is among the targets. The jeweller currently operates more than 250 outlets in 10 countries, 75 of which are in the Gulf region, including 12 in Qatar.

    The firm’s immediate expansion plans are to open more branches in Malaysia in the coming months, where the group started operations last year.

    Malabar Group chairman M P Ahammed said jewellery customers in Malaysia are showing enormous interest in the company’s ornaments and now the brand is gaining remarkably good acceptance in the country.

    “As part of our expansion, we are also looking at markets such as Hong Kong where there is increasing activity at present. The Chinese are buying both gold and diamonds in large quantities unlike what they used to, say, some three decades ago.”

    Speaking about the state of the business in general, Ahammed said: “From a modest beginning in Kozhikode in 1993, we have now expanded our operations even to the US, where our first outlet was opened earlier this year in Chicago.

    “Wherever there are strong family traditions and customs, there is hope for expansion in this business. A husband may want to gift something precious to his wife on a memorable occasion, a mother to his daughter and a son to his mother. No wonder, the choice of everyone in such moments – of strengthening bonds – continues to be gold or diamond.’

    Lees ook:

  • Sexual Harassment Claims Against Ted Baker’s Founder investigated

    Sexual Harassment Claims Against Ted Baker’s Founder investigated

    UK fashion retailer Ted Baker has appointed an independent committee of non-executive directors to investigate workplace harassment claims that current chief executive and founder Ray Kelvin expected staff to hug him and sit on his lap when visiting stores.

    “Ray, and the company’s leadership, have always prided themselves on Ted Baker being a great employer and business to work with,” the company said in a response to media reports about the claims and a petition started by staff members to stop the behaviour.

    “Accordingly, they and the board take these concerns very seriously and the board has directed a thorough and urgent independent external investigation carried out into these matters.”

    Organise, a website that allows employees to speak out against what they see in the workplace, and where Ted Baker staff initially spoke out about the workplace harassment, was contacted by leadership at the retailer who said they’re “open to changing the way we do things” when it comes to hugs.

    “Together our pressure exposed what was happening at the highest level. Now, over 100 anonymised reports of harassment are sat with Ted Baker’s board,” Organise said in a blog post about the matter.

    In an interview, Kelvin explained that he hugs people because his psoriatic arthritis makes it painful to shake hands, and took offence when it was suggested that people would be uncomfortable doing so.

    “You can’t expect my life to change because today people are particular about certain things that we grew up quite naturally with,” Kelvin explained, calling it “good old-fashioned stuff.”

    “Plenty of people might have sat on Ted Baker’s knee.”

    Lees ook:

  • Marcelo Burlon Opens First Flagship Store in Singapore

    Marcelo Burlon Opens First Flagship Store in Singapore

    Italian fashion label Marcelo Burlon has launched a Singapore flagship store on Orchard Road. The Marcelo Burlon Singapore store – the brand’s first in Southesast Asia, will offer a comprehensive range of the brand’s most recent collections, as well as the latest collaborations with NBA and MLB. Exclusive T-shirts were released to celebrate the store’s opening.

    The venue’s interior design reflects the Patagonian roots of the popular designer, who was personally present to attend the launch.

     

    Lees ook:

  • October retail sales tide in Hong Kong turns up

    October retail sales tide in Hong Kong turns up

    October retail sales in Hong Kong rose by 5.9 per cent year on year, more than double the pace of September, which was affected by Typhoon Mangkhut. A government spokesman indicated that growth in retail sales picked up somewhat in October after a deceleration in the preceding month, supported by the faster increase in visitor arrivals and continued income growth.

    The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) estimated the total value of October Hong Kong retail sales at HK$39.7 billion.

    After netting out the effect of price changes over the same period, the volume of October retail sales in Hong Kong increased by 5.2 per cent.

    C&SD’s revised estimate of the growth in the value of retail sales in September was unchanged at 2.4 per cent, the lowest figure year to date.

    For the first 10 months of this year retail sales rose by 10.6 per cent year on year, while the volume (netting out inflation) rose by 9.1 per cent.

    The spokesman strong inbound tourism and favourable job and income conditions should continue to support the retail sector in the near term.

    “Yet, consumer sentiment could increasingly be affected by the external uncertainties and weaker asset markets.”

    By broad type of retail outlet (in descending order of the category’s impact on the overall figure) sales of jewellery, watches and valuable gifts increased by 3.3 per cent in October. This was followed by electrical goods and other consumer durable goods, not elsewhere classified (up 16.1 per cent); commodities in department stores (up 3.5 per cent); apparel (up 2.3 per cent); medicines and cosmetics (up14.9 per cent); other consumer goods, not elsewhere classified (up 12.7 per cent); motor vehicles and parts (up 13.6 per cent); fuels (up 10.3per cent); footwear and accessories (up 9.3 per cent); books, newspapers, stationery and gifts (up 5.8 per cent); furniture (up 0.8 per cent); Chinese drugs and herbs (up 0.6 per cent); and optical shops (up 3.2per cent).

    The only categories to record a decline in sales were commodities in supermarkets, down 0.9 per cent, and food, alcoholic drinks and tobacco, down 2 per cent.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Chow Tai Fook reveals massive China expansion plan

    Chow Tai Fook reveals massive China expansion plan

    Chow Tai Fook opened 233 stores in Mainland China in the first half – and is planning another 400 next financial year. The Hong Kong-listed jeweller is targeting shopping malls for its new stores, and second-tier cities. The latest additions took the company’s global network to 2822, with 2682 of those located on the mainland. By the end of the 2020 financial year, the company will have more than 3000 stores on the mainland alone.

    In Hong Kong and Macau, the network remained stable during the first half, the company closing one store in Hong Kong’s tourist district and opening another in a residential neighbourhood targeting locals.

    The jeweller has reported robust growth of 20 per cent year-on-year backed by the buoyant consumer demand. Same-store sales in Hong Kong and Macau soared 24.4 per cent in what the company described as “stellar” growth, driven by gold products, gem-set jewellery and platinum/karat gold products.

    On the mainland, same-store sales were up 4.9 per cent. Core operating profit rose 24.7 per cent to HK$2.989 billion.

    However the company has warned of a slowdown in sales growth in the second half of the year “as the escalating comparison base, rising US-China trade tensions and foreign exchange fluctuations could cloud the performance”.

    Meanwhile, the company says its new jewellery retail brand Monologue, targeting younger customers, is going well and the T Mark diamond brand achieved a 134 per cent increase in sales in Mainland China and 156 per cent increase in Hong Kong and Macau.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Esprit appointed new chief product and brand officer

    Esprit appointed new chief product and brand officer

    Struggling fashion retailer Esprit has tapped a former Burberry and Tommy Hilfiger executive to become its chief product and brand officer. Mia Ouakim will take up the new role – a crucial post in the brand’s turnaround plan – in February, reporting to the group CEO.  She will be responsible for managing the product creation and design of all product divisions, as well as the consistent execution of the brand strategy across all product divisions and consumer touch points, according to Esprit in a stock exchange filing.

    Ouakim’s experience spans corporate strategy, product design, merchandising, planning and development, brand and communication, and distribution gained from luxury and premium fashion brands. Her most recent role was senior VP of Tommy Hilfiger menswear and tailored, overseeing the brand’s menswear division globally. Prior to that, she served as VP at Tommy Jeans, formerly known as Hilfiger Denim (Women & Men) between 2014 and

    2017 where she had full business responsibility of the denim division globally.

    Before joining Tommy Hilfiger, Ouakim held various roles with Burberry, working in product, merchandising and design roles for childrenswear between 2006 and 2014. Before that, she was with Children Worldwide Fashion in the UK, responsible for brand, communication and public relations of various luxury and premium brands, including Burberry, Timberland, Kenzo, Nike, Elle and DKNY childrenswear.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Tommy Hilfiger opens first Indian store

    Tommy Hilfiger opens first Indian store

    Last week, Tommy Hilfiger has opened its first exclusive Tommy Hilfiger store in Patna, India. Actress Radhika Apte made the launch of the event wearing the brand’s clothes. “I’m excited to be in Patna to celebrate the opening of the first exclusive TOMMY HILFIGER store in the city,” she said.

    During the event, key influencers such as Ira Dubey, Carol Gracias, Neelaksh Apte, Kanishtha Dhankar and Arya Bhat, and VIPs browsed and shopped the Fall 2018 collections that celebrate American Icons while putting a modern twist on timeless classics to meet the needs of the now.

    Spanning over 125 square meters, the store’s design reflects Tommy Hilfiger’s new global retail concept, which fuses the brand’s American heritage with clean and bright aesthetic.

    The interior takes cue from the nautical lifestyle – one of Tommy Hilfiger’s longstanding sources of inspiration.

    Technology being at the center of retail today, a high-resolution digital screen
    showcases the brand’s latest global campaigns for an immersive brand experience.

    Lees ook:

  • Abercrombie & Fitch results going uphill

    Abercrombie & Fitch results going uphill

    Abercrombie & Fitch is on the right road to recovery. Third-quarter net income is up by 133 per cent year on year, supported by a 75 per cent increase in operating profit. The company has still delivered positive comparables both overall and for each of the Hollister and Abercrombie brands. And at 6 per cent growth, US comparables are still on fairly solid ground.

    While Abercrombie & Fitch’s sales growth has slowed, both overall and on a comparable basis, and total sales at the Abercrombie brand have slipped into negative territory, a calendar shift in reporting periods, currency fluctuations and some tough-to-match prior year comparable figures are mitigating factors.

    GlobalData’s consumer-tracking data continues to show a number of positive movements in consumer sentiment about both of the main brands. Over the past year, there has been a 4 percentage point increase in the number of American shoppers who say they consider Abercrombie when shopping for apparel. For Hollister, the same metric rose by just shy of 6 percentage points. The same research also reveals that among core shoppers, perceptions of quality and design at both Abercrombie and Hollister are up sharply on last year.

    The results justify the step changes that have been made to things like fabrication, detailing and styling of the product set. The range – especially at Abercrombie – is now more sophisticated, more on-trend, and better reflects what modern consumers want. There is also a cohesiveness to the assortment which stimulates multiple purchases and helps to push up average transaction values. However, as good as these things are, both brands have more to do yet in making consumers aware of the changes and getting them to take a fresh look at the brands.

    Many of the positive movements are far more pronounced in the US than they are elsewhere. In our view, the geographical difference in the pace of recovery is telling. While it is right that the company has focused its recovery efforts on its most important market, there is now a need to adapt some of the strategies and plays so that they are relevant overseas. Customer dynamics, competitive sets, and perception of the brands are all very different in markets like the UK and a degree of localisation is needed to ensure that the brands fully resonate with regional consumers. We believe management recognises this and has already taken some steps, such as opening a new-format mall-based store in the UK at Manchester’s Intu Trafford Centre.

    Overall, the recovery at Abercrombie & Fitch is still a work in progress. However, turning around a once very-troubled brand is far from easy. Progress and advancement do not all come at once; this is a step-by-step process that will build over time.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • LF Beauty rebrands as MEIYUME

    LF Beauty rebrands as MEIYUME

    LF Beauty, a one-stop shop partner and supplier of products and solutions for the beauty industry announced that it will now operate under the new brand name of MEIYUME. The rebranding comes to represent the evolution of the company and its response to the rapidly-changing beauty landscape and the changing face of today’s consumer.

    The new brand positioning is based on the idea of MEIYUME as the catalyst shaping opportunities and transforming visions into reality with the fusion of MEI (美), Chinese for beauty, and YUME (夢), Japanese for dream.

    As part of the rebrand, MEIYUME’s business has been restructured into three key divisions: Packaging & Turnkey Solutions, Retail Solutions, and Brands.

    The rebrand has also given the company an opportunity to renew focus on its business strategy of Empowering Beauty Solutions. In addition to empowering established brands by providing them with the right products and solutions, it is also about paving the way for new brands to make their mark by collaborating and translating their unique identities into reality.

    “With a new brand and structure, we are best-positioned to connect end consumers and the entire supply chain, and to create value for our customers like no other company in our industry.”said Gerard Raymond, President of MEIYUME.

    Fung Group’s Deputy Group Chairman, William Fung, added: “It is the right time to undergo a full rebrand and really focus on who we are and the value we deliver to our customers.”

    The rebrand comes after the completion of Li & Fung’s strategic divestment of its three product verticals (Furniture, Sweaters and Beauty) in April 2018 to form LH Pegasus, which is 45% owned by Hony Capital and 55% owned by the Fung Group.