Tag: Fashion

  • Charles & Keith is expanding in Hong Kong

    Charles & Keith is expanding in Hong Kong

    Charles & Keith is the go-to label for accessible designs that are on the cutting edge of fashion. This October, Charles & Keith has expanded its retail reach by opening two new stores in Hong Kong. These stores would be the first to open in the city.

    The new stores are located at Parker House, Central and New Town Plaza, Sha Tin respectively.

    Parker House opened two days ago and it occupies a coveted spot in the prime CBD district while New Town Plaza is a trendy flagship shopping centre that offers an exceptional array of shopping, dining and lifestyle facilities.

    The aesthetics of the new Charles & Keith stores is inspired by the brand’s refined design philosophy and aim at reflecting a sophisticated simplicity.

    To provide customers with a curated experience, each section of the store communicates the different stories of the season.

  • N°21 signs with Lee & Han for South Korean distribution

    N°21 signs with Lee & Han for South Korean distribution

    N°21 has major expansion plans in South Korea. The Italian fashion label designed and led by Alessandro Dell’Acqua has signed a distribution agreement with Lee & Han, a Korean distributor managing a broad portfolio of lifestyle brands, and plans to open 18 stores in the country in the next five years.

    N°21 had already opened a series of retail corners in the country, but it is now stepping up the pace of its growth.

    The first stage of N°21’s expansion strategy was the opening of a flagship store of over 300 square metres, the brand’s largest, in the Cheongdam district of Seoul, a hub for fashion labels.

    The store extends on two levels and showcases N°21’s ready-to-wear, footwear and accessories collections for men and women.

    The store’s interior design replicates that of N°21’s Milan flagship: the chromatic contrast of black and white on the marble floor, the polycarbonate and raw concrete ceilings, and plenty of mirrors, steel and aluminium.

    The store’s façade is entirely black, riffing on that of the label’s Omotesando store in Tokyo and of its new Milanese headquarters.

    The South Korean partner chosen by N°21 to support its expansion the country is a shareholder and licensee of Converse and Kappa, and is very active in the multibrand retail business (with Han Style, Han Style Men, Han Style Kids and Han Style Shoe) and as an exclusive distributor of international fashion labels like Delvaux, Giambattista Valli, Emilio Pucci, Nina Ricci, MSGM, Mr & Mrs Italy, Premiata, and others.

    N°21 is distributed by the Gilmar group in over 600 multibrand stores worldwide, and in Asia it currently operates monobrand stores in Tokyo, Hong Kong and Beijing.

    In 2016, the latest year for which figures are available, N°21 generated a revenue of €52 million, up 117% compared to 2015.

  • Foot Locker Is Opening First Outlet In Malaysia

    Foot Locker Is Opening First Outlet In Malaysia

    Foot Locker Malaysia is set to open its first store. The American brand’s market-debuting outlet at 1 Utama will stock some exclusive items and collections and is also a regular collaborator with top sneaker brands. It is expected to start trading later this month.

    The Footlocker Malaysia move is part of a broader strategy to open in 40 new global locations. It has recently launched in Singapore and Hong Kong.

    The store’s location is currently under renovation and will open in the mall’s old wing on the ground floor.

  • Robinsons Retail income raised by nearly 10 per cent

    Robinsons Retail income raised by nearly 10 per cent

    Robinsons Retail Holdings has boosted net income by 9.8 per cent in the first nine months of this year, to PHP 3.8 billion (US$70.97 million). The improvement followed on from a 13.1 per cent increase in sales for the period, to PHP 91.8 billion ($1.71 billion) which the company said was due to “robust” same-store sales growth of 6.6 per cent across all store formats, along with a contribution from new stores.

    Same-store sales rose by 8.6 per cent in the company’s supermarkets division, which accounts for 46.5 per cent of the group’s total turnover, and by 7.8 per cent in specialty stores and 6.1 per cent in DIY. Same-store sales in the convenience divison rose by 4.5 per cent, in drugstores by a more modest 2.9 per cent and department stores 2.4 per cent.

    Excluding franchised branches of The Generics Pharmacy, Robinsons Retail ended September with 1778 stores, comprising 158 supermarkets, 51 department stores, 206 DIY stores, 496 convenience stores, 499 drugstores and 368 specialty stores. Gross floor area increased by 9 per cent year on year to 1.199 million square meters.

  • Goldwin to open first own-brand store

    Goldwin to open first own-brand store

    Japanese outdoor apparel retailer Goldwin is set to open its first independent flagship store in Tokyo. The Marunouchi business district launch, scheduled for November 8, will introduce the brand’s new selection of high-performance sportswear, lifestyle and ski apparel. Highlighted will be two of Goldwin’s best-selling products, the Arris Jacket and the Hooded Spur Gore-Tex Down Coat.

    A Goldwin press release stated that the flagship will allow the firm “to expand its vision and introduce new values, creating a platform where sports and lifestyle merge”.

    Goldwin’s products have previously been made available at The North Face retail stores in Japan and other specialty stores worldwide.

    The company intends to follow this launch with more flagships to open in international locations.

  • Uniqlo acquires stake in Vietnamese brand

    Uniqlo acquires stake in Vietnamese brand

    Uniqlo’s parent, Fast Retailing, has acquired a 35 per cent stake in Hanoi-based women’s fashion brand Elise. Elise, which has more than 100 stores across the country, is said to have received tens of millions of dollars from the deal – a figure much higher than its entire charter capital.

    This is Fast Retailing’s first significant move into Vietnam since it announced it would launch its Uniqlo brand in Ho Chi Minh City next year.

    The store will be operated by a joint venture between Fast Retailing and Mitsubishi Corporation.

    Vietnam is one of the markets Uniqlo is counting on to double its store network in Southeast Asia and Oceania to around 400 by 2022.

    Uniqlo’s arrival in Vietnam will intensify competition for foreign brands as Zara and H&M who have already successfully launched there.

    According to German firm Statistics Portal, Vietnam’s fashion revenue will annually grow 22.5 per cent from 2017 to 2022, and its clothing sales will surge to an estimated US$245 million this year.

    Another fashion group from Japan, Stripe International, has reportedly bought NEM, a Vietnamese fashion brand which targets female office workers.

  • DLF Emporio: 10 years of a successful luxury retail journey

    DLF Emporio: 10 years of a successful luxury retail journey

    DLF Emporio is a name to reckon with in the evergrowing luxury retail space in India and the credit for its successful journey, spanning 10 years, goes to Dinaz Madhukar – a stalwart in the hospitality sector in India. Madhukar has over 24 years of operational experience with The Taj Group of Hotels, India’s largest luxury hospitality chain, as General Manager where she led multiple functions. Currently, she is responsible for providing executive leadership and management of DLF’s Vasant Kunj Retail Complex including DLF Emporio and DLF Restaurants – including the iconic Set’z. In addition to this, she is responsible for the management of DLF’s hospitality vertical, which includes The Lodhi. She also looks after the brand’s spanking new luxury addition to the capital – The Chanakya.

    Sharing the secret recipe of success, Dinaz Madhukar’s, EVP, DLF Luxury Retail & Hospitality says, “Luxury, in its very essence, thrives on exclusivity and personalized experiences. Technology, has proven to be a strong ally for the luxury brands and engagement with the audience has become more direct. We use the social and digital media to introduce disruptive content and creative campaigns to connect with our patrons, which leads to a direct impact on footfalls and sales.”

    In an exclusive interview with Shopping Centre News, Madhukar talks about the journey of DLF Emporio over the past 10 years, the challenges, expansion plans and the future of luxury malls in India.

    DLF Emporio has successfully completed 10 years of operations. Tell us about the journey been so far?

    When DLF Emporio started operations in Delhi in 2008, there was no antecedence on how to do it right. At that time no other real estate brand had forayed into the luxury retail terrain. For DLF Emporio, therefore, there was neither an example nor a benchmark; however, ten years of successful operations undoubtedly is a coup for the brand.

    In many ways, DLF Emporio remains a case study for the luxury retail spaces, across India. The mall is today globally synonymous with Indian luxury retail and has been catalytic in putting India back on the global luxury retail map. The Indian luxury retail trail, begins with DLF Emporio and goes on to set higher expectations for their next luxury project, The Chanakya. This young one-year-old property is wisely curated given its compact nature and is poised to cater to the niche and discerning young and mature digitally savvy audiences.

    What, according to you, are the key elements that determined the success of DLF Emporio?

    The success of every business depends on understanding the pulse of your customers and pre-empting and adapting to the change in dynamics of the everevolving market space.

    DLF Emporio has been very cognizant of creating bespoke customer and retailer experiences in keeping with aggressive marketing and promotion plans of its retail partners, and I think keeping pace with and supporting the marketing needs of each retailer and guest, is what has worked for us.

    The marriage of hospitality services with luxury retail has been key to best attend the needs of both the retail partner and our guests.

    If you were to look at the annual brand properties created by DLF Emporio right from the luxury shopping festival, to couture weddings, down to the shopping fiesta, every event property is focused at addressing and pushing targeted business goals of our retail partners, while showcasing the best of luxury fashion and hospitality to our loyal customer base. The idea is to continually support both our retail and customer audiences with winning propositions for each.

    In the past 10 years, how have you seen the fashion luxury market evolving in India?

    The Indian luxury retail industry has been on a growth trajectory ever since we opened our doors in 2008. We have actually seen the customers’ taste maturing over the years. When the luxury brands came into India it was more of a sellers’ market; however, today we see a conscious buyers’ market where subtlety and self-astuteness guide govern purchase behaviour. Our guests have always veered towards quality and craftsmanship, and today you will see a significant acceptance and slant towards bespoke merchandise and limited-edition products. The guests today adhere to the ‘less is more’ adage when it comes to investing in luxury.

    India has always been a great purveyor of luxury. The initial luxury patrons were the royalty and today the most decadent luxury products are consumed by not just HNI’s but also top CXO’s, young, mature and astute entrepreneurs. We have also seen the emergence of the young start-up communities egging their ways into the Unicorn universe; these are also voracious consumers of luxury.

    The trend now is slowly shifting from product and brand focused luxury to experiential luxury consumption. You do see brands reflecting this shift with their new verticals and product innovations. Earlier, technology was restricted to corporate corridors in the silicon valleys, however, technological disruptions are now becoming a norm across luxury brands. These tech-luxe disruptions are focused on capturing eyeballs and mind space of the more assertive, highly demanding and seriously articulate, young Millennials, who live their lives on, and consumer information on virtual and social mediums.

    How has the brand mix at the mall changed over the years?

    The brand mix has remained broadly the same. In fact, we have had to request some brands to give back some proportion of their spaces to us in order to pave room for new brands. As the market and the consumer evolved, we have seen an epic change in the kind of ranges and products that the brands started introducing in the mall.

    Monograms have made way for subtle luxury, and limited editions are becoming more coveted. The propensity to own, gave way to the intent to own curated, one-of-a-kind, products.

    What are the new brands that you are introducing this year?

    We have already introduced first-comers of luxury in India, including names like Berluti and Molton Brown. Polo by Ralph Lauren has also launched its store at DLF Emporio. We have added a global luxury porcelain art creator like Lladro to our brand mix, which makes the DLF Emporio luxury retail proposition even more exciting. India will continue to be a lucrative market for global luxury brands given its discerning customer mix and penchant for curated luxury.

    Do you see luxury shopping in India evolving in the future?

    2018 is turning out to be a massive year in the world of luxury retail in India. The retail industry has depicted a future forward and a very positive growth, and we see this trend continuing. Luxury is no longer the bastion of a few but fast becoming the remit of the successful first-generation entrepreneurs, the affluent corporate and the young and the aggressive successful start-up landscape.

    Older brand narratives are finding vibrant new platforms. Brands are re-inventing storytelling and showcasing disruptive innovations. The luxury shopper is now, an ever-expanding universe with audiences across various luxury access points, looking to fulfil varied and differentiated needs. You will now see a more exuberant and new age evolution of the luxury retail sector with global brands jostling for consumer’s minds space and share of wallet.

    And what steps are you taking to keep consumers coming to DLF Emporio for the next ten years?

    DLF Emporio has always been a forerunner in the luxury retail sector. We were the first to foray into luxury retail, and we have been agile enough to keep on top of our game. A decade is a long time, and we have successfully completed our milestone, replete with challenges, learnings and substantial deep dives into our customer’s buying behaviours and mindsets.

    For any brand to stay relevant it must appeal to the core interests of its customers and guests. We have kept the brands more than relevant, by offering unique experiences, the best in luxury brand offerings and superlative service experiences in a genuinely luxurious environment. We are committed to elevating our customer and brand experience with many more luxury retail disruptions in the near future.

  • Cover Story to expand retail presence; open new outlet at Bengaluru

    Cover Story to expand retail presence; open new outlet at Bengaluru

    Cover Story, a fast fashion brand for women by Future Style Lab, will be launching its new store at Forum Mall, Bengaluru in the coming week. This is Cover Story’s 23rd exclusive store with an existing presence across Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Surat, Pune, Kolkata, Chennai, and many other cities. The store is placed at a prominent location in the mall amidst the most fashionable brands around.

    The sprawling area is an apt location for Cover Story with its state-of-the-art workspaces, retail havens, entertainment zone, F&B options, and signature hospitality services.

    The new store’s stock includes the latest Autumn-Winter’18 collection. The collection, designed at the creative headquarters in London, consists of women’s apparel and accessories, which include bags and shoes. The collection is inspired by the best runway trends seen across the world. This season the brand turned to the high streets of cosmopolitan cities for inspiration. When it comes to style in London, there’s nothing like High Street Fashion which displays the best trends from the runways across the world. Cover Story’s AW18 Collection features ready to wear styles that will give the Cover Story Woman (and her BFF) the confidence to turn the streets into their own personal runway. The collection, spread across 9 stories, has encompassed the key trends emerging this season.

    At present Cover Story has 22 exclusive outlets across Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Surat, Kolkata, Coimbatore, Kochi, Chennai, Indore, and Vadodara. Overall, Cover Story is present across more than 80 doors at Central, Kapsons, Iconic & Sohum. Additionally, the brand has its own online store to help cater its customer from anywhere, by simply visiting the website – www.coverstory.co.in Cover Story is retailed through online marketplaces including Myntra, Jabong, Amazon.in and Koovs.

  • The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands enjoys sales rise

    The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands enjoys sales rise

    Revenue from The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands rose 4.5 per cent during the third quarter, reaching US$44 million, according to the integrated resort’s latest results announcement. Sheldon Adelson, CEO of parent Las Vegas Sands Corp, said retail tenant sales per square foot at the shopping complex rose by 22.2 per cent during the past year.

    That, together with rising food and beverage sales (up 15.2 per cent to $53 million) and improved hotel revenues helped offset a decline in gaming takings, said to be affected by a decline in VIP playing. Third-quarter earnings were down 52 per cent to $419 million for the quarter.

    Las Vegas Sands’ regional third-quarter earnings were up by 6 per cent to US$1.28 billion, thanks to the strengthening Macau business.

    Hotel occupancy at Marina Bay was 97.5 per cent during the third quarter with an average daily rate of $466.

  • Beccos plans expansion in India with 50 new stores

    Beccos plans expansion in India with 50 new stores

    Chinese-owned ‘South Korean designer brand’ Beccos says it plans to launch 50 stores in India. Scheduled to be opened by the middle of next year, the stores will require an investment of ₹100 crore (US$13.67 million) and are expected to return a revenue of around ₹200-250 crore ($27.35–34.18 million) in the next financial year based on the potential of the market.

    Like rival chain Mumuso, the store is positioned as Korean and using Korean design influence in its products, but is actually Chinese.

    The Hong Kong-based firm will also be investigating the potential of online sales in the region next year.

    Beccos global CEO Dabin Wang said: “We see tremendous potential in the Indian market… The company would have stores on company-owned-company-operated and franchise patterns. We would have a mix of both franchised and company-operated stores.”

    Beccos has started the expansion by opening its first few stores in Kamala Nagar.

  • DFS launches exclusive TIFFANY T Collection worldwide

    DFS launches exclusive TIFFANY T Collection worldwide

    DFS Group, the world’s leading luxury travel retailer, is excited to announce the launch of four exclusive Tiffany T pendants, available exclusively in DFS airport and T Galleria stores from November 1, 2018 until April 2019. Inspired by the iconic New York skyline, the new DFS x Tiffany T Collection features two pendant necklaces in 18K white gold with blue sapphires, and two pendant necklaces in 18K rose gold with pink sapphires, each with an adjustable 16-18 inch chain.

    The Tiffany T Collection embodies everything Tiffany stands for – freedom, happiness, love and strength. Designed with the letter T, as tall, true and iconic as the New York City skyline, a place of courage and reinvention that constantly sparks creativity.

    The strong, graphic form of the letter T is simplified, deconstructed and extended to form the chic necklaces with clean lines and modern angles. The Tiffany T designs are meant to complement each other; they can be boldly stacked and layered or can be worn alone for a sleek and elegant look.

    “The exclusive collection reflects the confident customer who takes a fearless approach to style and we are thrilled to partner with DFS to bring Tiffany & Co.’s signature take on luxury to travelers globally,” said Wong Wei Ling, Vice President, Asia Pacific, Tiffany & Co.

    “At DFS we continually seek to offer our traveling customers new, exclusive and memorable product selections, in partnership with some of the best-known brands in the world. We are delighted to join with Tiffany & Co. to provide first access to the beautiful Tiffany T pendant collection for our discerning customers worldwide,” said Matthew Green, DFS Group Senior Vice President, Watches and Jewelry.

    As graphic and linear as the city that defined this design, the Tiffany T collection is a timeless symbol of modernism and self-expression.

    The Tiffany T collection range will be available exclusively for purchase at DFS and T Galleria by DFS stores worldwide until April 2019.

     

    T Galleria by DFS, Hong Kong, Canton Road

    T Galleria by DFS, Hong Kong, Tsim Sha Tsui East

    T Galleria by DFS, Macau, City of Dreams

    T Galleria by DFS, Macau, Shoppes at Four Seasons

    T Galleria by DFS, Singapore

    DFS, Kansai International Airport, Osaka

    T Galleria by DFS, Okinawa

    T Galleria by DFS, Saipan

    T Galleria by DFS, Bali

    T Galleria by DFS, Angkor

    T Galleria by DFS, Guam

    T Fondaco dei Tedeschi by DFS, Venice

    T Galleria by DFS, Sydney

    T Galleria by DFS, Auckland

  • Bata Malaysia Opens Their First Exclusive Kids-Only Store

    Bata Malaysia Opens Their First Exclusive Kids-Only Store

    Bata Malaysia has opened the first Bata Kids concept store at Sunway Pyramid. Located on the first floor of the mall, the store offers children’s footwear and accessories from brands such as Bubblegummers, Disney’s Marvel, Hello Kitty, Barbie, and My Little Pony.

    “The flagship store is carefully constructed to be fun and colourful in order to appeal to the kids. This extends to the store’s design as well as visual merchandising,” the company said in a statement.

    An area is designated for kids to unleash their creativity through drawing and there is plenty of room to accommodate strollers.

    Bata Malaysia is offering a promotion on October 31, where the first 10 walk-in customers to flash the Bata Malaysia Facebook/Instagram page to the cashier will receive free shoes.

    The next 40 walk-in customers will be entitled to a RM20 voucher.

  • Pandora opens fifth concept store at New Delhi Terminal 1D

    Pandora opens fifth concept store at New Delhi Terminal 1D

    Pandora has recently opened its fifth store at New Delhi Terminal 1D. This will be the third store opening in 2018 for Pandora. The brand launched its first store at DLF Mall of India, Noida in April 2017, followed by Select Citywalk in September 2017, DLF Promenade in April 2018 and Galleria Market Gurgaon in June 2018.

    The contemporary and aesthetically designed concept store is located on the ground floor of the domestic airport in the departure holding area of Terminal 1D, New Delhi. The new store carries the entire Pandora jewellery collection available worldwide, including the moments collection, the essence collection, Pandora Rose collection; the all-new 18k gold plated sterling silver-Pandora shine collection.

    Pandora has always encouraged women to empower themselves by celebrating their achievements. These collections are designed to capture life’s unforgettable moments at affordable prices.

    Speaking on the opening, Kanika Bakshi Talwar and Devika Bakshi, Managing Director, say, “We are proud to enter a different format of a concept store, our first in any airport in the country. This store will cater to a large variety of domestic shoppers outside of Delhi NCR and spread the excitement across various cities. Accessibility to our products would be easier now for travelers and we hope to expand further and provide an opportunity for all Indian consumers to acquire their Pandora products in the near future.”

    The Terminal 1D store is a medium size concept store, with all collections available in-store, and is aesthetically designed to give customers ample browsing space to make their shopping experience very comfortable in-transit.

  • Myntra launches its in-house plus size brand, Sztori

    Myntra launches its in-house plus size brand, Sztori

    Myntra has announced the launch of Sztori, its in-house plus size apparel brand, especially designed to suit a larger range of body shapes and sizes. It is essentially a designer wear in the plus size category, offering consumers, the perfect fit and multiple style options at affordable rates. The apparel is made to suit plus size body types rather than prove to be a mere extension in size on existing profiles, thus breaking the existing age-old norm in the Indian market.

    Post identifying a white space opportunity in the segment, Myntra set out to design and develop merchandise under a new brand to cater to the category and make wearers look fashionable with multiple style options at affordable prices, opening new avenues in the industry.

    Known for democratizing fashion across segments, the launch enables Myntra to go a step further and include size profiles into the ambit of ‘fashion for all’. It champions inclusivity in fashion, evaluating and emphasizing greater attention to styles, trends, designs, fit and fabric for plus sized apparel, in order to bring out the personality of the person wearing it. ‘Sztori’ derives its name and theme from Myntra’s ‘story’ of developing a brand that celebrates a person’s journey and spirit, helping to soar above shape and size.

    The brand offers a range of products for men and women, including, Tees, denims, tops, dresses and more in L to XXXXL (Large to 4 times Large) sizes. Shoppers can choose from over 225 styles and designs at prices ranging from Rs 799-1,999.

    Speaking on the occasion, Manohar Kamath, CXO and Head, Myntra Fashion Brands, said, “We are extremely delighted to announce the addition of Sztori to our portfolio of private brands. Plus size clothing is in great demand and it was time we offered something substantial in the category, opening up more avenues and possibilities for our customers. Research estimates that this segment will account for US$ 5-6 billion in the US$ 40 billion Indian online fashion apparel market, by 2020, which is approximately 10-12 percent of the overall market, making it an important proposition.”

  • Esprit sales continues to dive

    Esprit sales continues to dive

    Esprit sales slumped further in the first quarter as the embattled fashion brand’s store network continued to shrink. In a stock exchange filing on Friday, Esprit said group revenue for the quarter to September 30 slumped 16.2 per cent year on year in local currency while its own offline store sales area reduced by 10.6 per cent, to HK$3.34 billion (US$425.8 million). The company’s own-managed stores, which account for 37 per cent of the company’s total turnover, fell by 17.8 per cent.

    “The decline was due to a reduction in net sales area of 11.5 per cent year on year, a result of continued rationalisation of our distribution footprint, including the closure of the Australia and New Zealand markets and a decline in comparable retail store sales (excluding e-shop) of 14.1 per cent … mainly due to declining customer traffic to our stores and extended warm summer temperature in Europe which impacted sales of our autumn merchandise,” the company said.

    Offline same-store sales in Asia Pacific grew by 0.3 per cent, mainly due to promotional activities. But online sales, which accounted for 24.9 per cent of the company’s revenue, fell by 14.9 per cent globally.

    Eshop, almost entirely in Europe and representing 24.9 per cent of group revenue, recorded a decrease of 14.9 per cent. Online sales in Asia Pacific, which account for a mere 2.6 per cent of total e-shop sales, plummeted 36.7 per cent, largely blamed on the closure of the Australia-New Zealand business.

    Wholesale revenue, almost entirely from Europe, fell 15.5 per cent.

    The company reiterated comments made after its dire full-year results were released last month, which included a US$325.5 million loss in the year to June 30: “Corrective measures are in place to reignite sales momentum.”

    A strategy plan will be released on November 26 outlining how the company plans to sharpen its brand identity, putting the customer at the centre of everything it does; improve product offering and brand positioning; reduce complexity and improve accountability in the organisation; become a leaner organisation; and eliminate loss-making parts of the business.