Retail News CRM

Tag: new stores

  • Japan’s Owndays to enter Thailand, Cambodia

    Japan’s Owndays to enter Thailand, Cambodia

    Tokyo-headquartered Owndays will open its first stores in Thailand and Cambodia in October.

    The retailer, which produces and sells fashionable and trendy eyewear, already operates 130 shops in Japan, Singapore, Taiwan and China. It plans to open 100 new stores in Southeast Asia during the next five years.

    The first Thai store will open in Bangkok’s Mega Bangna shopping centre, the first Cambodian store in Aeon Mall, Phnom Penh.

    Owndays believes its pricing structure and speedy turnaround will set it apart from local eyewear retailers.

    Where most optical shops charge customers for frames and lenses separately, and require high optional charges depending on types of lenses, making pricing systems complicated and difficult to understand, Owndays keeps its pricing system simple. It has eliminated additional charges for all single-vision lenses and offers all glasses at set prices indicated on its frames – there’s no additional charges for lenses no matter what customer-required lenses are.

    “This is a very unique and very customer-friendly pricing system in the eyeglass industries of the region,” said a spokesperson.

    Every Owndays shop has a wide range of and large number of stock lenses, enabling staff to provide customers with spectacles in as little as 20 minutes after the payment.

    Owndays launched its business operations in Southeast Asia in July 2013, and now operates 14 shops in Singapore and six shops in Taiwan.

    The company has established its own overseas business model through its independent pricing system and services and is rapidly expanding its business activities.

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  • Gome Electrical opens 117 stores in six months

    Gome Electrical opens 117 stores in six months

    Gome Electrical has opened 117 stores in six months on its way to an 8.8 per cent increase in sales for the half year.

    Total sales revenue was RMB 31.69 billion and its consolidated gross profit margin was 17.7 per cent.

    The store network expansion program is part of a push into tier two cities in China’s mainland where 84 of the new shops opened. Overall same store sales rose 2.3 per cent in a six month period when retail spending in China was subdued, but in tier two cities, same store sales rose 5.3 per cent.

    Gome now has stores in 41 Chinese cities where it did not have a presence just six months ago.

    Online sales were another growth powerhouse, rising 151.3 per cent in gross merchandise volume. More growth clearly lies ahead with 181 per cent year on year online growth in the last three months of the half year.

    In the remaining half of this year, Gome says it will accelerate even further its move into tier two cities, leading into ‘channel penetration’ in third and fourth-tier cities as well, largely based on eCommerce initiatives.

    “By seamlessly engaging customers across online and offline channels, the group is destined to achieve fuller integration of all channels and grow its ‘total retail ecosystem’,” the company said in its results filing.

    “This will allow customers to enjoy a total retail experience and comprehensive services at any time, any place.”

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  • Lao Feng Xiang plans 20 Hong Kong stores

    Lao Feng Xiang plans 20 Hong Kong stores

    Lao Feng Xiang, the Chinese jewellery brand few in the west have ever heard of, is planning to open 20 stores in Hong Kong.

    Lured by the prospect of cheaper rents in high profile locations as Hong Kong’s luxury sector enters a decline, Lao Feng Xiang sees the foray as an opportunity to build its brand awareness outside the mainland.

    Lao Feng Xiang, controlled by the Shanghai Government, has a 167 year history in the mainland – and has a 3000 strong store network. It entered Hong Kong in May and now has two stores trading. Marketing manager Wang Ensheng told Bloomberg that as many as 20 will be trading within a few years.

    “The fact that Lao Feng Xiang opened stores in Hong Kong boosted our reputation,” Wang told Bloomberg in a telephone interview. “Mainland consumers know that we are now a player in this international jewelry hub.

    “This year is the best time to enter Hong Kong, an opportunity that we have waited for years.”

    The first Lao Feng Xiang store opened in Tsim Sha Tsui, an 80sqm boutique which sold more than HK$100 million of jewellery on its opening day.

    Shanghai flagship store in the year 1999

    “Hong Kong is a key market in our internationalisation strategy. We provide more diversified selections at the Tsim Sha Tsui store than any of our 2800 stores on the mainland,” said Wang at the time of the opening.

    “The logic is simple – we want to attract more young people to our fold,” he said.

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  • Korea’s Churro 101 Singapore date

    Korean dessert concept Churro 101 is to open its first store in Singapore on October 3.

    Churro 101 Singapore will debut at Bugis Plus on Victoria St, serving up churros – a fried-dough pastry snack popular in Spain, France, the Philippines, Portugal, and the Southwestern US.

    It will be the four year old brand’s first store opening outside South Korea and a likely prelude to expansion into other Asian markets.

    The Singapore store will make fresh churros daily in an open kitchen, using raw materials imported from Korea.

    The 441 sqft store features European styling and will seat up to 20 customers as well as serving takeaway orders. It will trade from 10am to 10pm daily.

    While the churro concept is not new to Singapore, Churro 101 offers a unique take on the dessert, including flavours made with the brand’s own secret recipes, filled churros and a signature dark chocolate churro.

    Prices will range from $3.30 to $5.40.

  • Spyder launches in Korea

    Spyder launches in Korea

    Ski and sportswear brand Spyder has launched in South Korea with an all-new product line available in freestanding stores and shop-in-shops.

    An accelerated retail rollout is planned with 25 stores opening across the country by the end of 2015.

    “We are excited to be working with Global Brands to bring Spyder to South Korea, one of the world’s most fashion-forward and trendsetting markets,” said Jamie Salter, chairman and CEO of Authentic Brands Group and owner of the brand.

    “Spyder is highly regarded and we are confident that the brand will flourish in the country.”

    Designed for the ‘style-seeking South Korean consumer’, both the men’s and women’s collections draw from the core DNA of the brand, fusing elements of performance and fashion.

    “We see tremendous equity in the Spyder brand and its ability to translate across key markets in Asia,” said Bruce Rockowitz, CEO and vice chairman, Global Brands Group.

    “We look forward to replicating the success we have achieved in other markets to South Korea, through the roll out of a number of exciting brand and category extensions.”

    Spyder is featured in shop-in-shops at fashion hot spots including Galleria Department Store, Hyundai Department Store, Lotte Department Store and AK Department Store. The brand also launches with freestanding stores in Seoul, Daegu, Gumi, Incheon and Sokcho. Spyder will be promoted in a 360 degree campaign that includes national Print, Out of Home, Digital, Social, and TV promotion beginning this month.

    Spyder is described as one of the world’s most recognisable and credible outdoor sportswear brands, focused on enhancing the ski experience both on and off the mountain. Originally founded by David Jacobs, coach of the Canadian Ski Team and Bob Beattie, coach of the United States Ski team, Spyder’s roots run deep in the ski community. The brand has been the official sponsor of the US Ski team since 1989. Spyder offers technical ski, fitness, and lifestyle apparel and accessories for men, women, and children. The highly sought after brand is available in department stores, sporting goods stores, and specialty retailers throughout North America, Europe, the Middle East and now South Korea.

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  • Issey Miyake opens in Hong Kong

    Issey Miyake opens in Hong Kong

    Japanese luxury fashion designer Issey Miyake has opened its first store in Hong Kong.

    The Issey Miyake Hong Kong boutique is located on level 1 of the Ocean Centre at Harbour City on Canton Rd in Tsim Sha Tsui.

    Bao Bao Issey Miyake - Habour city 1

    Womenswear, menswear accessories, shoes – and, of course, the brand’s famous fragrances – are all on sale in the boutique which also offers shoppers a unique outlook across the harbour.

    The brand is known for it minimalist designs and the new Hong Kong boutique captures that philosophy in its design with merchandise displayed in a gallery like setting and simple black and white LED signage at the front.

    BaoBao Issey Miyake - Habour city

     

    Issey Miyake was born in Hiroshima and studied graphic design in Tokyo before working in Paris and New York. He returned to Tokyo in 1970 and founded the Miyake Design Studio to produce high-end women’s fashion.

    Over the years he has developed spin-off brands and expanded into fragrances in 1992.

    His flagship store is in Osaka.

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  • Smiggle speeds Asian expansion

    Smiggle speeds Asian expansion

    Smiggle, the trendy, stationery retail concept from Australia, is to open stores in Hong Kong and Malaysia within 14 months.

    Smiggle – popular with students and people seeking gifts – has proven an enormous success in Singapore for its parent, Melbourne-based Premier Investments. During the announcement of the company’s trading results yesterday (read about Premier’s year here) founder and chairman Solomon Lew outlined plans to expand into Hong Kong, Malaysia, Wales and Scotland over the next 14 months.

    Based on trading figures from the company’s Singapore store network, Lew said management expected Hong Kong and Malaysia to support 50 stores within five years.

    “I am pleased to announce the expansion of the Smiggle footprint in Asia through entry into two new markets, Malaysia and Hong Kong.”

    Smiggle’s worldwide sales rose 26 per cent. The company opened 24 stores in the UK during the last trading year and expects to have another 16 open before Christmas.

    Lew says both Smiggle and its sleepwear chain Peter Alexander performed beyond expectations in the year past.

    The company opened eight new Peter Alexander stores in the first half of the current year and plans as many as 15 more over the next two years in Australia and New Zealand.

  • Burberry, Gucci at Macau

    Burberry, Gucci at Macau

    Burberry, Prada and Gucci head a list of international fashion brands progressively opening at The Promenade shopping centre in the Galaxy Macau.

    The Promenade is part of the stage 2 development of the integrated resort, which opened its doors on May 27. But a number of retail spaces were not complete.

    But on Friday, high-flying British luxury apparel brand Burberry opened its new store there – its third in Macau. And Gucci will follow later this month.

    Prada will open a store at The Promenade in October.

    UK fashion brand Daks and Japanese denim labels Evisu and Moussy will also open stores soon, according to the Galaxy Entertainment Group.

    Louis Vuitton opened a store last month.

    “We are excited to be welcoming top luxury brands to Galaxy Macau for the first time, connecting our increasingly discerning guests with the most iconic retail brands from around the globe,” said Kevin Clayton, chief marketing officer of Galaxy Macau.

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  • Apple To Launch Retail Stores In China, Italy And Belgium By September End

    Apple To Launch Retail Stores In China, Italy And Belgium By September End

    Apple Inc.  announced that by September end, it will open two new stores in Italy and China. The announcement was made on September 9, at its long-awaited annual event in San Francisco, where it also launched a range of its new products.

    According to the company, the Chinese outlet in Nanjing will launch on September 19, while the Florence outlet will debut on September 26; both stores will open at 10 AM. Moreover, Apple unofficially confirmed its plans to launch a new store in Brussels on September 19, which would the company’s first-ever retail store in Belgium.

    The Brussels branch will be located at Avenue de la Toison d’O, the Florence outlet at Republic Square, and Nanjing outlet at Rainbow Joy Shopping Mall. Currently, the Belgium branch sports a board that states: “Creativity, to be continued,” with paintings surrounding the barricade.

    It is evident that Apple’s plan to open three new stores in different countries will help the company expand its product line to a wider customer base. With the event’s worldwide coverage, Apple’s efforts to attract a larger audience may prove successful.

    With the debut of iPhone 6s, iPad Pro, an upgraded Apple TV, and the Watch leather bands, Apple has successfully launched a diverse category of products that will help the company attract clients globally. Customers may be inclined to check the new Apple Stores after the immense hype about the new products.

    With the gradual product shipments, the company has smartly kept its users hooked for updates. Furthermore, with the three new stores scheduled to open in September, Apple has made a conscious effort to place them in central locations, which will help attract larger crowds.

    The new Apple Stores will create new job opportunities for local people, and help recruit potential employees in the respective regions. Through this expansion plan, the tech giant will not only help expand its services to other countries, but also establish improved and reliable relations for future ventures.

    The launch of the new stores, along with subtle hints for a potential store in Antwerp later, may push excited customers get a head start to plan their preorders.

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  • MANGO opens its largest store in Asia at Wisma Atria shopping centre in Singapore

    MANGO opens its largest store in Asia at Wisma Atria shopping centre in Singapore

    MANGO has opened its largest store in Singapore. The capital of Singapore is the location for the store which, with over 1,200m2 distributed on a single floor, becomes the company’s largest store in the region.

    The store, located in the busy Wisma Atria shopping centre, stocks the firm’s different brands (MANGO, MANGO Man and MANGO Kids) and represents the fifteenth MANGO store in Singapore since it arrived in the capital in 1995.

    Toni Batlló, MANGO’s Director of International Expansion, declared: This opening represents a challenge for the company and a commitment towards the Asian market. The new store also strengthens our brand image in the country and consolidates the firm’s different brands. This is a market with plenty of potential and the new flagship store confirms MANGO’s commitment to continue growing and to extending our expansion plan.

    MANGO opened its first store on Barcelona’s Passeig de Gràcia in 1984, and now has over 2,700 stores in 108 countries. MANGO closed the 2014 financial year with a Consolidated Group turnover for the MANGO-MNG Holding of 2.017 billion euros, representing a 9% increase on 2013, and an EBITDA of 223 million euros.

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  • Seed Heritage opens at VivoCity

    Seed Heritage opens at VivoCity

    Australian childrenswear chain Seed Heritage has opened a new store in VivoCity.

    It is Seed heritage’s second store in the city state, following its debut in Parkway Parade.

    Last week’s opening was marked with a 20 per cent off storewide sale across its range of baby, child and teenage girls clothing, which ended on Sunday.

    Seed Heritage is one of Australia’s most popular premium childrenswear brands, providing solutions from top-to-toe for babies, boys, and girls, from the ages of newborn to 10 year olds. It recently expanded its range into a teen collection for girls aged eight to 14 years.

    Seed Heritage is best known in Australia for its quality and detail and distinctive design across apparel, shoes, accessories, and toys.

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  • Vietnam retailer plans 8000 c-stores

    Vietnam retailer plans 8000 c-stores

    The Gioi Di Dong, a Vietnam retailer known for its 450-strong chain of bright yellow phone retail stores says it will launch a new convenience store format in October.

    Dang Thanh Phong, a spokesman for the company which is also known as Mobile World Investment Corporation, said the company plans to open between 6000 and 8000 convenience stores by 2020, and take up to15 per cent of convenience food and grocery market.

    Mobile World also currently operates 37 electronic stores known as Dien May Xanh.

    Vietnam’s convenience store sector remains in its infancy despite relatively recent forays by Circle K and FamilyMart. 7-Eleven, the world’s largest c-store operator, recently signed a Vietnam partner in IFB Vietnam, which owns the local Pizza Hut franchise. But 7-Eleven is planning just 1000 stores over the next decade, a fact that tests the credibility of Mobile World’s ambitions.

    The first five new The Gioi Di Dong convenience stores will open in October, with as many as 50 trading by the end of this year according to information obtained by the Saigon Times Online.

    In an initial year-long trial phase, the company will invest up to VND50 billion (US$2.24 million) refining the concept.

    The Gioi Di Dong says its stores will have a footprint of between 150 and 400 sqm depending on their location and will trade from 6am to 9pm – shorter hours than the c-stores of established international brands, some of which trade around the clock.

    A month out from the first opening the chain’s brand name has yet to be chosen.

    CEO Tran Kinh Doanh was quoted on news website Zing.vn says the new store network will target customers of traditional markets and grocery stores.

    While it may lack experience in convenience or food retailing, The Gioi Di Dong has a strong pedigree in retailing: In the first seven months of this year it reported sales of VND12.92 trillion, or US$566.26 million – a year on year increase of 158 per cent.

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  • RedWhite Apparel expands abroad

    RedWhite Apparel expands abroad

    Singapore-born sportswear brand RedWhite Apparel is expanding into two new Asian markets.

    RedWhite Apparel makes clothing for cyclists, high quality gear for those undertaking ultra-long distance rides.

    The company has announced the appointment of CobbleSports in South Korea, which will be managing online sales of the brand’s products, distributing to independent retailers and executing a marketing program.

    And in Japan RedWhite Apparel has appointed Funks Trading to oversee retail and wholesale distribution.

    Founded just last year with only one product – a $150 ‘bib short’ manufactured in Italy – the brand is achieving success beyond expectation in Asia and is now eyeing an entry into the US market. It has achieved distribution in five stores in Thailand and is stocked in London by UK boutique Always Riding.

    The brand’s founder is Yuvaraman Viswanathan, whose previous job was as a designer with Dyson in Singapore.

    Launched in August 2014 initially through retailers, the company now retails direct online and is already shipping goods internationally. About 70 per cent of sales are into the US.

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  • Krispy Kreme to open 10 shops in Myanmar

    Krispy Kreme to open 10 shops in Myanmar

    Krispy Kreme announced this week that it is set to open 10 shops in Myanmar over the next five years.

    Dan Beem, Krispy Kreme’s Senior Vice President and President – International, said with a growing economy and a population eager to welcome global brands, the time is right for the company to bring its sweet treats to Myanmar.

    The company has signed a development agreement with Singapore-based Doughnut Group Pte. Limited.

    “We’re confident the Krispy Kreme experience will be as meaningful in Myanmar as it is in Memphis or Manila, or anywhere else around the world where our signature sweet treats and coffee are served,” said Pote Narittakurn, owner of Doughnut Group Pte. Limited

    Krispy Kreme has more than 1,000 retail shops in 24 countries. Its  fundraising program has, for decades, helped non-profit organizations raise millions of dollars in needed funds.

  • America’s bebe stores to enter Greater China

    America’s bebe stores to enter Greater China

    US-based global specialty retailer of contemporary women’s apparel and accessories – bebe stores, inc. has announced that it has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Longgoal LLC, a leading Shanghai-based agency of international high-end brands.

    In a press statement, it said the agreement includes a five-year exclusive license to open between 60 and 150 retail and wholesale bebe points of distribution in Greater China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. The first boutique is expected to open in the summer of 2016.

    “As we continue to expand our international footprint, our entrance into Greater China is a significant opportunity to accelerate that growth and reinforce bebe as a global lifestyle brand for women. We look forward to working closely with the Longgoal team, who have a proven track record of success and operational experience in introducing high profile retail brands to this key market,” said Jim Wiggett, CEO of bebe stores, inc.

    As a part of the agreement, Longgoal will open a minimum of 60 points of sale in Mainland China, including free standing boutiques and bebe shop-in-shops and identify third party retailers in certain provinces of China to sublicense the brand for retail operations. Longgoal is currently identifying potential locations in Shanghai and Beijing, including flagship boutiques. After the five-year exclusive term, Longgoal retains an option for an additional 10 year partnership with bebe based on performance.

    “bebe is truly an iconic affordable luxury brand and one that we are honored to have the opportunity to introduce to women across Greater China in a variety of ways. As style and design are among the top priorities for sophisticated woman in China, we are confident that bebe’s bold design and contemporary fashion will appeal to the ever-changing lifestyle of the confident and sexy modern Chinese woman,” said Madam Celine Chen, Chairwoman of Longgoal LLC.

    bebe plans to locally design and develop up to 30 per cent of the product for China to create trendy fashion styles to reflect the local fashion and suit the bebe woman’s lifestyle in China. In addition, the company anticipates expanding further into licensing agreements for handbags, shoes and intimates in the initial partnership phase.

    bebe complements Longgoal’s current portfolio of retail brands, including GANT, the original American Sportswear brand launched in China nearly a decade ago, and Thomas Pink, the luxury British shirt brand under the LVMH Group.

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