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Tag: retail expansion

  • Kushal’s Launches Silver Brand Anera Targeting Rs 25 Crore

    Kushal’s Launches Silver Brand Anera Targeting Rs 25 Crore

    Indian fashion jewellery retailer Kushal’s launched a standalone silver jewellery brand named Anera, targeting Rs 25 crore in first-year revenue across a new standalone retail network in southern India.

    The expansion commits the Bengaluru-based company to six initial high-street stores covering 2,500 to 3,000 square feet each, starting with a flagship location in Bengaluru on September 26.

    Five additional outlets will follow over the subsequent seven weeks across Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Coimbatore and Vijayawada. The initial footprint allocates two stores each to Bengaluru and Hyderabad, alongside single units in Coimbatore and Vijayawada. Founder Kalpesh Gulechha confirmed the brand will evaluate store unit economics across these four cities over a three to six-month test period before deploying capital toward a broader pan-India store opening programme.

    High-Street Stores and Metal Mix

    Silver accounts for a rapidly expanding share of the parent company’s existing merchandise mix. Contribution from the metal rose from between 2 and 3 per cent four to five years ago to between 15 and 18 per cent today, prompting management to separate the category from its traditional imitation fashion jewellery counters.

    Anera targets shoppers aged 25 to 45 with merchandise tailored for daily office wear, weddings, festive collections and self-gifting. The business model relies on converting younger buyers seeking design variety without committing to the higher price points commanded by gold.

    “We want to shift the conversation from the metal value to meaning, style, expression and emotion,” Gulechha said.

    The standalone retail format requires larger store footprints than typical fashion jewellery kiosks, opting for dedicated high-street frontage to build a premium atmosphere. That retail footprint increases fixed lease commitments, putting the onus on high sales density per square foot to justify standalone store viability.

    South Indian Test Bed

    Selecting Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Coimbatore and Vijayawada gives Kushal’s an immediate reading on regional appetite across tier-one and tier-two southern retail corridors. South India remains the country’s most active regional jewellery market, though organized competition in branded silver has expanded as apparel and lifestyle chains compete for the same discretionary spend.

    For high-street landlords, the entry of dedicated silver formats adds another commercial tenant category competing for ground-floor fashion frontage against traditional gold retail giants and beauty brands. The operational risk sits in managing inventory turnover across fast-moving fashion designs while silver raw material costs fluctuate.

    Before launching Anera, Kushal’s built its core business around costume and fashion jewellery retail, gradually increasing its fine silver assortment inside existing stores over the last half-decade. That shift laid the groundwork for carving out a separate retail brand once internal sales data demonstrated steady customer migration toward higher-ticket precious metal purchases.

    Management projected Anera’s annual revenue to reach Rs 65 crore in its second year. Performance metrics from the first six southern stores across the upcoming six-month trial window will determine the pace and geography of the brand’s national retail rollout.

  • Converse Opens 2 Next-Generation Stores in Nanjing and Shanghai

    Converse Opens 2 Next-Generation Stores in Nanjing and Shanghai

    Converse opened two concept stores in Nanjing and Shanghai in September 2026 as part of an experiential retail push across mainland China. The footwear brand already distributes through more than 700 locations across the country. Those operations are led by its Star Concept and X-Ing shop formats.

    In Nanjing, the store follows the Converse Star Concept design. It pairs localized city storytelling with premium product allocations. There is also a dedicated Converse Select zone built for early-access releases and top-tier merchandise. The site served as the debut platform for the Chuck 70 X, an updated edition of the core sneaker with an altered structural fit and cushioned insoles.

    Community Formats on Yuyuan Road

    On Yuyuan Road in Shanghai, the brand launched a Converse X-Ing store. The location functions as an interactive hub rather than a transactional shop. It incorporates customisation workshops, art displays, rotating pop-ups, and collaborative workspaces for local designers.

    Converse said in an announcement detailing the Shanghai site that the store invites creators and consumers to connect through community programming.

    Shifting Floor Space to High-Touch Retail

    Sportswear brands in China face heavy margin pressure from domestic e-commerce channels and local rivals. Footwear labels are responding by reallocating capital into prime street locations and major mall units. These spaces serve as marketing assets rather than simple stock rooms. By splitting tiers between core Star Concept stores and creative X-Ing outposts, Converse aims to defend its pricing power and cultural cachet with younger urban shoppers.

    Higher overhead creates real risk for operators. Prime rents on strips like Yuyuan Road add up quickly alongside event production and staffing costs. If programming fails to drive repeat visits and full-price sales, concept spaces turn into costly marketing drains rather than profitable channels.

    Building Out the Asia Network

    These mainland openings follow the rollout of larger formats across Asia, including the launch of the brand’s largest flagship store in India in June 2026. Across the region, the company continues to refine its direct retail tiers. This separates basic wholesale distribution from high-margin specialty releases.

    Market watchers will track how the Chuck 70 X and Select zone lines perform across the wider 700-door mainland network before Converse takes the Star Concept format into secondary Chinese retail hubs.

  • Korea’s Born to Stand Out Opens First Southeast Asia Store in Makati

    Korea’s Born to Stand Out Opens First Southeast Asia Store in Makati

    South Korean luxury perfume label Born to Stand Out opened its first Southeast Asian boutique at Glorietta 4 in Makati City, entering the Philippine market through local distributor Scent & Beauté.

    Founded in Seoul by Jun Lim in 2022, the brand built its identity on high-concentration formulations and unconventional scent profiles, contrasting with the clean, minimalist branding common among East Asian beauty exports.

    Inside the Glorietta 4 Boutique

    The Makati boutique pairs bright crimson interiors with white ceramic-style flacons across the full catalog. Inventory spans four core collections: Dirty and Sticky, Dark and Drunk, Eau Intimité, and the flagship Extrait Extrême tier.

    Formulations in the Extrait Extrême series run between 55 and 62 per cent perfume oil concentration. The brand ages those blends for three months in traditional Korean earthenware jars known as onggi to round out volatile top notes before bottling. The store also stocks scented body lotions, washes, and home fragrances.

    The Play for Manila’s Niche Beauty Spend

    Distributor Scent & Beauté handles store operations, logistics, and retail management for the rollout. The company manages luxury and premium personal care portfolios across the Philippines and Singapore.

    Department store beauty counters in Metro Manila have long favored Western legacy houses, but independent Korean beauty and lifestyle brands are taking dedicated square footage in prime retail properties. Ayala Land continues to reconfigure Glorietta’s ground floors toward specialized retail and indie beauty concepts to capture younger foot traffic.

    What to Watch Next

    Niche fragrance carries high margin potential, yet price elasticity in Metro Manila will test whether consumers convert from entry-level K-beauty purchases into ultra-high-concentration extracts. Scent & Beauté has not disclosed expansion targets for additional locations across Metro Manila or second-tier Philippine retail hubs.

  • Robinsons Retail Opens First Panglao Supermarket in Island Push

    Robinsons Retail Opens First Panglao Supermarket in Island Push

    Robinsons Retail Holdings opened its first supermarket in Panglao, Bohol on September 4, targeting an island market where tourism operators and local households still lack modern grocery chains.

    Net sales in the food division reached 125.8 billion pesos in 2025, generating 59.8 per cent of company revenue. Same-store sales grew 3.2 per cent. That performance gave the Manila-listed group clear incentive to add square footage outside the capital.

    Located near Bohol’s international airport and beach strip, the Panglao store supplies commercial buyers such as resorts, restaurants, and hotels alongside residents and hospitality workers. In tandem with the supermarket opening, the company launched a Rose Pharmacy at Bellemar Lifestyle Center, bringing its provincial pharmacy network to nine sites.

    The Imbalance Outside Luzon

    Total food store count reached 799 across the group at the end of 2025, spanning Robinsons Supermarket, The Marketplace, Shopwise, Robinsons Easymart, and convenience brand Uncle John’s. The footprint remains concentrated in Luzon. Metro Manila held 410 locations, and outer Luzon accounted for 308.

    Southern regions hold only a fraction of that total. The company operated 56 food stores in the Visayas and 25 in Mindanao at the end of 2025. Together, those 81 outlets equal less than a fifth of the Metro Manila network. That gap leaves substantial room for modern formats to expand across central and southern provinces.

    Sari-Sari Dominance in Provincial Trade

    Island expansions shift operating risk toward tourism cycles and local supply logistics rather than standard household traffic. Cold-chain transport to island provinces costs more than urban replenishment. Turnover also depends partly on seasonal visitor arrivals. Securing supply contracts with hotels and restaurants helps smooth those volume swings, shielding stores from local spending constraints.

    Traditional retail continues to handle most grocery volume outside major cities. Government data from the 2023 National Nutrition Survey showed 66.9 per cent of households bought groceries regularly from neighborhood sari-sari stores and micro-retailers. Only 45.6 per cent shopped at supermarkets or modern outlets once or twice a month. Independent shops remain the chief competitor for formal chains entering provincial towns.

    Scaling Beyond Capital Malls

    Network consolidation in recent years helped RRHI sharpen its food stable across upscale, mass-market, and convenience formats. Revenue growth in 2025 paired store openings with like-for-like sales gains. Better integration across banners also improved regional supply lines.

    Future quarters will show whether provincial same-store sales outrun the 3.2 per cent baseline set in 2025 as resort hubs absorb modern supermarket formats.

  • Heytea Expands US Footprint with Philadelphia Store as Chinese Chains Scale Up

    Heytea Expands US Footprint with Philadelphia Store as Chinese Chains Scale Up

    Staff deployed crowd-control barriers at 10th and Arch Streets as Heytea opened its first Philadelphia store. Lines for its chilled fruit teas stretched down the block.

    Headquartered in Shenzhen, the chain operates more than 4,000 stores worldwide. It sells drinks like King Jasmine Guava tea for $7.99 while ramping up its international footprint.

    That debut follows a launch on New York’s Upper West Side weeks earlier. Heytea press representative Yinnan Shen said more than 600 people lined up across three city blocks for that opening. Founded in Guangdong in 2012, the company specialises in what it calls new-style tea. It blends brewed whole-leaf tea with fresh fruit rather than powdered mixes.

    Challenging the First Generation of Boba Retailers

    This expansion reflects a broader shift across North American beverage retail. Scaled mainland Chinese operators are pushing past first-generation Taiwanese bubble tea concepts. Early entrants like Vivi Bubble Tea, Kung Fu Tea, and Mr. Wish established US footprints between 2015 and 2017, alongside Gong Cha, Chi Cha San Chen, and Tiger Sugar. Most of those networks operate between 80 and 300 locations globally. That leaves them exposed to rivals backed by deeper capital and larger supply chains.

    Mainland brands rely on industrial throughput and heavy digital marketing. Smaller franchise networks and independent operators now face rising rents across prime Chinatown strips. In those corridors, quick-service and beverage chains continue to displace legacy family restaurants, pharmacies, and dry goods merchants.

    The Scale Race Led by Chinese Coffee and Tea

    Scale gives these mainland chains their chief advantage. Luckin Coffee entered Manhattan in 2025 and already operates 25 outlets in New York City out of 36,310 stores globally. Its buyout of specialty roaster Blue Bottle earlier this year strengthened that network. Budget rivals Cotti Coffee and Mixue run more than 18,000 and nearly 60,000 global stores respectively. Both entered New York in 2025.

    Western cafe chains build around seating and customer dwell time. By contrast, these Chinese operators design compact stores for fast mobile app pickups. High transaction volume and lean store footprints allow them to absorb steep urban rents.

    Franchise Proliferation Across East Coast Hubs

    Standardised franchise systems are multiplying across the East Coast. Over the past twelve months, Philadelphia has absorbed a string of mainland franchise concepts. Arrivals include dessert and snack operators Kyo Matcha and Yin Ji Rice Roll, alongside yogurt drink chain Hey I Am Yogost.

    Taiwanese brands spent the past decade establishing Asian tea across Western metropolitan centres. Now, mainland competitors are testing whether volume models built in tier-one Chinese cities can generate profit on expensive American real estate.

    Heytea is scouting further locations across the US Northeast corridor. Future sites will target high-density student and commercial districts in New York and Pennsylvania.

  • Thai Label Gentlewoman Opens First Singapore Store at 313@Somerset

    Thai Label Gentlewoman Opens First Singapore Store at 313@Somerset

    Thai apparel brand Gentlewoman opens its first Singapore boutique inside Orchard Road’s 313@Somerset on October 15. The launch adds a second international market to the Bangkok retailer’s network of 29 domestic stores.

    The unit will stock core ready-to-wear lines, swimwear, activewear, accessories, and exclusive collaboration ranges. It also brings the signature canvas tote bags that built the brand’s regional profile. Management plans to use the Somerset location as an anchor for a wider Singapore store rollout.

    Securing prime space on Orchard Road

    Sitting directly above the Somerset MRT station gives the store heavy youth and tourist footfall. That matches the brand’s regional customer base. For years, local shoppers bought its products through third-party resellers or traveled directly to Bangkok flagships.

    Orchard Road landlords view popular direct-to-consumer labels as a useful counterweight to slowing sales at traditional mid-market chains. Mall operators continue reallocating ground- and mid-level floor space to regional cult brands that generate instant social media interest and steady physical foot traffic.

    Testing Southeast Asian demand beyond Bangkok

    Expanding across Southeast Asian borders brings clear operational hurdles. Gentlewoman built its following on accessible price points and recognizable canvas totes. Running physical stores in Singapore demands far higher sales densities to offset steep local rents and wage bills.

    The critical test is whether Singapore shoppers will buy full seasonal apparel lines as readily as entry-level accessories. Competing with established fast-fashion chains and local contemporary brands requires rapid stock turnover. Constant product refreshes will also tie up more working capital across the regional supply chain.

    “As we continue to grow beyond Thailand, our ambition is to build a brand that feels relevant across cultures and communities, while remaining unmistakably Gentlewoman,” said co-founder Raya Wannapinyo.

    Building regional scale from Malaysia to Singapore

    Raya Wannapinyo, Siripa Rueangwutthisakulchai and Jitpon Siriwattanamathangkul launched Gentlewoman in Bangkok in 2018. It scaled swiftly from an e-commerce shop into a nationwide network, eventually adding multi-storey flagships in central shopping hubs like Siam Square.

    Malaysia served as the retailer’s first foreign market earlier this year. After testing logistics and warehousing in Kuala Lumpur, the company is committing capital to Southeast Asia’s most expensive retail market to build regional scale.

    Leasing teams are already evaluating additional Singapore mall sites ahead of the October 15 debut at 313@Somerset.

  • Skechers Expands Asian Performance Lines 1 Year into Private Ownership

    Skechers Expands Asian Performance Lines 1 Year into Private Ownership

    Skechers is pushing deeper into performance categories across Asia as it evolves from a footwear brand into a broader lifestyle and sportswear business. In an interview with Inside Retail in September 2026, Cedrick Tan explained how the company adapts its strategy across diverse regional markets.

    The push comes 1 year into life as a privately held company. Skechers is expanding its focus beyond footprint expansion to deepen customer relationships through retail experiences, sports, entertainment, communities and local partnerships.

    Tan said the company sees room to grow across running, golf, football and emerging sports like pickleball, supported by proprietary technologies such as Hands Free Slip-ins, Arch Support and Glide-Step. The assortment also incorporates apparel, accessories and market-specific items like sports hijabs across Southeast Asia.

    Splitting Performance and Mass Retail

    Sportswear growth in Asia requires a divided merchandising model. Mature metro markets demand technical running and convenience-oriented shoes. Developing hubs, meanwhile, require sharper entry price points and everyday utility.

    Rivals like Nike and Adidas have faced inventory clearing cycles across Asia when pushing uniform global performance lines into secondary cities. Skechers aims to avoid those markdowns. It pairs its walking foundation with sport-specific entry models, lowering the price barrier for recreational runners and weekend athletes.

    Shifting Channel Strategies for Mall Landlords

    For shopping centre operators across Southeast Asia, the broader sportswear lineup alters floor space requirements. Skechers stores now compete for larger inline units instead of standard footwear bays. That footprint growth pressures traditional multibrand sports retailers that depend on basic sneaker sales.

    Growth should not be about expansion for its own sake. It needs to be relevant, sustainable and grounded in consumer demand.

    Apparel and sports accessories carry different margin profiles than molded footwear, raising supply chain demands for regional franchisees. Localized collections like modest athletic wear give the company an edge. The approach targets shoppers in Indonesia and Malaysia whom Western performance brands often overlook.

    Transition to Private Operations

    This merchandise pivot builds on a restructuring completed in September 2025, when Skechers shifted to operate as a privately held entity. Free from quarterly reporting pressure, regional managers recalibrated distribution networks. They moved away from door-count growth to focus on experiential stores and category-specific sports marketing.

    Distribution speed will test operations next as autumn performance collections roll out to flagship stores in Singapore, Bangkok and Jakarta.

  • Central Retail to Add 37 Food Stores Across Vietnam by 2028

    Central Retail to Add 37 Food Stores Across Vietnam by 2028

    Central Retail will open up to 37 food stores in Vietnam by 2028. The plan adds large-format hypermarkets and neighborhood supermarkets across primary and secondary cities.

    Targets include 10 to 12 Go! Hypermarkets and 23 to 25 Mini Go! Stores over the next two years. The group already operates more than 300 locations covering 1.3 million square metres of floor space.

    Splitting formats between city hubs and provinces

    Capital will split between large retail hubs and smaller grocery boxes. Central Retail Food Group is restructuring flagship Go! Hypermarkets around fresh produce, in-store bakeries and prepared dining counters. Smaller Mini Go! Branches will push into provincial markets. There, modern retail still competes against traditional wet markets.

    Food accounts for the bulk of local revenue. Beyond Go!, the portfolio includes Tops Market, Mini Go! And Lan Chi Mart. Sourcing leans heavily local. More than 90 per cent of inventory comes from roughly 2,000 Vietnamese suppliers.

    “Our strength lies in having a diverse range of store formats, from hypermarkets to supermarkets, allowing us to expand in ways that best suit the potential of each location and consumer segment across both major and secondary cities,” said Stephane Coum, CEO of Central Retail Food Group.

    Pressure on domestic grocers and floor space

    Rival operators like WinCommerce and Saigon Co.op face higher stakes in secondary provinces. Domestic chains spent the past three years closing unprofitable small stores and trimming distribution margins. Central Retail is taking the opposite route, committing fresh capital to physical stores as consumer spending climbs.

    Productivity outside Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City remains the main operational hurdle. Secondary cities provide cheaper leases and less modern competition, but basket sizes are smaller and shoppers watch prices closely. The company bets fresh food counters and ready-to-eat meals will pull shoppers from wet markets faster than packaged goods.

    Building out the network

    Central Retail entered Vietnam nearly 15 years ago and has invested THB49 billion (US$1.5 billion) to date. It converted the Big C assets acquired in 2016 into the Go! Brand. Older hypermarket layouts were dropped for food-led centers that mix dining tenants with specialty retail.

    Loyalty data will feed directly into the physical roll-out. The 1 Vietnam loyalty programme reached 7.4 million members in its first year. The chain will use that database to drive shoppers into the 37 new locations as construction finishes through 2028.

  • Pandora Opens Asia Regional Headquarters in Singapore for 50-Person Team

    Pandora Opens Asia Regional Headquarters in Singapore for 50-Person Team

    Pandora opened its new Asia regional headquarters in Singapore today, setting up a 50-person commercial hub in Marina Bay to oversee key retail markets across the region.

    The central office manages the group’s Asia Cluster, covering company-owned retail operations and distributor territories in markets including Japan, South Korea, India, and Indonesia.

    Marina Bay Hub and Regional Hiring

    Supported by the Singapore Economic Development Board, the new office consolidates commercial direction, branding, regional marketing, and supply operations under one roof. Recruitment for the roughly 50 corporate positions begins in the coming months.

    “Asia presents a tremendous opportunity for Pandora,” said Massimo Basei, chief commercial officer at Pandora. “With dynamic markets like India, Japan, Indonesia and South Korea poised for expansion, Singapore’s strategic location and vibrant business environment make it the ideal base for our expansion in the region.”

    Shifting Operational Weight to Regional Hubs

    Establishing direct management in Singapore shifts operational oversight closer to East and South Asian retail corridors. For years, European luxury and accessible jewellery labels managed Asian expansion either through remote European headquarters or fragmented local distributor networks. Centralising retail oversight in Singapore allows Pandora to standardise store design, inventory distribution, and promotional calendars across both wholly owned flagships and partner-run doors.

    Landlords and department store operators across Tokyo, Seoul, and Mumbai gain a single regional counterpart for lease negotiations. The primary operational risk sits in managing vastly different retail dynamics from one desk: South Korea’s digital-first consumer base demands fast local product turnarounds, while India’s fine jewellery sector requires navigating steep import tariffs and entrenched local gold preferences.

    Expansion Trajectory in Asian Jewellery

    The establishment of the Singapore office follows years of retail adjustments across Asia, where the brand has selectively bought back distributor territories and upgraded store footprints in major tier-one shopping malls. Singapore itself has served as a critical testing ground for the label’s retail concepts, backed by long-standing state support from the Economic Development Board to attract European consumer groups.

    Hiring for the Marina Bay office begins over the next quarter, with initial appointments focused on regional marketing heads and supply chain directors across the East Asian and Indian retail networks.

  • Mubadala Invests $1 Billion in Luckin Coffee Alongside Centurium

    Mubadala Invests $1 Billion in Luckin Coffee Alongside Centurium

    Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund Mubadala Investment Company agreed to invest about US$1 billion for a minority stake in Luckin Coffee. The Chinese chain operated more than 36,000 stores globally by June 30, with customer rolls reaching nearly 500 million transacting buyers.

    Mubadala is injecting the capital alongside Centurium Capital, the private equity firm that holds controlling shareholder control over the retail group. Fresh funding will finance store buildouts across mainland China while bankrolling new retail sites in overseas target markets.

    Gulf Capital Backs China Network

    The transaction directs Gulf sovereign money into high-frequency Chinese retail at a time when global private equity deployment in the country has cooled. Mubadala head of Asia private equity Mohamed Albadr pointed to data integration across product cycles and unit operations as the driver for the commitment.

    “Luckin Coffee has built a differentiated, technology-enabled business with data embedded across customer engagement, product development and store operations,” Albadr said.

    Securing US$1 billion gives the chain a balance sheet buffer that rivals cannot easily match in current fundraising conditions. The cash injection strengthens Luckin against low-price challengers like Cotti Coffee while intensifying lease competition for small-format commercial spaces across regional retail corridors.

    Scale Shifts Pressure to Rivals

    For multinational operators including Starbucks, the capital infusion signals that price competition and unit expansion in secondary Chinese cities will not slow down. Landlords in transport hubs, office basements, and shopping malls gain an aggressive, well-funded tenant capable of taking small footprints on short turnaround schedules.

    Risk now centers on unit-level profitability outside top-tier shopping zones as store density increases in mature urban markets. Expanding into international markets will also test whether the chain’s app-driven, low-labor operating model transfers effectively into markets with higher real estate and staffing overhead.

    International Footprint Next in Line

    The deal follows a rapid store buildup through the first half of 2026, when Luckin crossed the 35,000-location threshold before adding another 1,000 stores by the end of the second quarter. Centurium had previously taken operational control to restructure the company and reorient unit economics around small-format pickup counters and digital orders.

    RetailNews Asia will track the pace of the group’s overseas site selection and store openings over the coming quarter as capital deployment begins.

  • China’s Kailas Opens First Directly Operated European Store in Chamonix

    China’s Kailas Opens First Directly Operated European Store in Chamonix

    Chinese mountain sports brand Kailas opened its first European retail store in Chamonix, France. The site gives the brand a direct physical foothold in the continental outdoor hub.

    It is the company’s first directly operated store outside China. Kailas already runs more than 300 wholesale and retail sales outlets worldwide.

    Direct operations replace third-party distribution

    Founded in 2003, Kailas built its business across mountaineering, rock climbing, ice climbing and trail running. The Chamonix store shifts that strategy. Instead of relying on wholesale accounts, event sponsorships and athlete outfitting, the brand now operates its own storefronts in competitive Western markets.

    Inside, the branch focuses on the Kailas Fuga trail-running line and doubles as a community hub for local runners. Kailas used the location to launch its Fuga Ex Pro G shoe. More than 80 runners and ambassadors from its Fuga Team and Fuga Mountain Club attended the debut.

    Challenging established alpine competitors

    Setting up shop in Chamonix puts Kailas in direct competition with European mountain sports incumbents on their home terrain. The French Alps draw dense traffic from elite trail runners and mountaineers. That makes the town an expensive proving ground rather than a high-volume revenue generator.

    For Asian sportswear makers, direct European retail brings higher overhead, strict labour regulations and steep lease commitments compared to domestic operations. Kailas bets that technical validation in the Alps will lift brand equity across international accounts and its core domestic market in China.

    Building on athlete partnerships

    This opening follows years of sports marketing that assembled an international roster of 107 sponsored athletes. Those sponsorships previously fed third-party retail distribution and online orders rather than dedicated company-owned doors.

    Future expansion will show whether the Chamonix location remains a standalone flagship or serves as a template for more direct-to-consumer stores across Western Europe.

  • Mixue Shifts Malaysia Strategy Toward Food Safety and Quality Control

    Mixue Shifts Malaysia Strategy Toward Food Safety and Quality Control

    Mixue has shifted its operational focus in Malaysia to food safety and standardized store management this quarter. It has slowed its rapid store openings to protect franchise consistency.

    The value-priced ice cream and tea operator is standardizing ingredient handling, audits, and franchise training across hundreds of independently run franchised outlets in the country.

    Standardising Store Operations

    Headquarters teams are rolling out stricter supplier checks, central storage compliance, and mandatory staff retraining. The goal is curbing hygiene inconsistencies across high-volume suburban counters.

    For franchisees, the tightened rules raise daily discipline and audit frequencies. Store managers face unannounced inspections covering temperature logs, equipment sanitization, and ingredient shelf-life tracking.

    Pressure on Value Tea Rivals

    Rival low-cost bubble tea chains in Malaysia now face immediate pressure. Many compete on single-digit ringgit price points. Churning out high volumes at discount prices leaves little room for error in cold chain logistics or store sanitation.

    Protecting customer trust before hygiene lapses damage the brand drives the compliance push. The main risk sits behind the counter. Enforcing uniform standards across hundreds of independently run franchised outlets demands continuous oversight costs.

    Next Phase of Southeast Asian Expansion

    Mixue entered Southeast Asia aggressively, relying on low franchise fees and an integrated Chinese supply chain to blanket Indonesia, Vietnam, and Malaysia. Rapid expansion quickly secured brand recognition across shopping malls and commercial shop lots.

    Maintaining product consistency across thousands of regional outlets poses a major challenge as local health authorities step up inspections of quick-service beverage chains.

    Malaysian franchisees will complete updated audit cycles over the coming quarter as headquarters evaluates network compliance across Peninsular Malaysia.

  • Lululemon Appoints Heidi O’Neill as CEO After Comparable Sales Drop Nine per Cent

    Lululemon Appoints Heidi O’Neill as CEO After Comparable Sales Drop Nine per Cent

    Former Nike executive Heidi O’Neill took charge of Lululemon on September 8 after second-quarter comparable sales dropped nine per cent.

    Net revenue fell four per cent year over year. In the United States, comparable store sales sank 12 per cent.

    The Vancouver-based activewear company lowered its full-year financial outlook and scaled back its physical retail pipeline. Lululemon now plans to open 35 net new stores in 2026, down from an earlier target of 40. It will also trim its operational pop-up fleet to about 40 locations, down from 65 at the end of last year.

    Slowing Demand Hits Global Expansion

    For landlords and retail operators across Asia and the Pacific, the pullback signals that premium athleisure no longer guarantees footfall. Rapid international sales growth previously cushioned softening retail demand in North America. That buffer eroded in the second quarter when international comparable sales slipped into decline.

    Fast-growing rivals such as Vuori and Alo Yoga continue to capture shelf space and customer loyalty across key metropolitan hubs. Lululemon must defend high price points without the product novelty that originally justified them. That leaves franchise partners and department store landlords facing softer conversion rates.

    Product Fatigue and Pricing Pressure

    Expansion into non-core lifestyle categories failed to resonate with shoppers looking for technical performance. High price tags compounded the problem as consumers rejected premium pricing on basic assortments.

    “The reason they are is that Lululemon has gone firmly off the boil,” said Neil Saunders, managing director at GlobalData.

    O’Neill’s operational task centres on rebuilding the product engine rather than relying on discounts. Americas revenue slipped three per cent in the first quarter, then dropped eight per cent in the second quarter. Core customer fatigue is accelerating.

    Targets for the Turnaround

    Momentum has slowed over several quarters. The brand built its original market dominance on proprietary yoga fabrics and studio ambassador networks. Aggressive international scaling then diluted its product focus and slowed its development cycles.

    Investors and retail property operators are tracking O’Neill’s initial 90-day operating review and the third-quarter earnings release. Progress against the revised 35-store opening plan will show whether core product fixes can stabilise full-price sales.

  • Oh!Some Scales Back in Vietnam 16 Months After Opening Flagship

    Oh!Some Scales Back in Vietnam 16 Months After Opening Flagship

    Chinese lifestyle chain Oh!Some is closing stores across Vietnam. The closures come 16 months after it opened a 2,000-square-metre flagship in central Ho Chi Minh City.

    The retailer entered Vietnam in April 2025 and expanded quickly. Mounting losses soon forced a reassessment. High mall rents, logistics expenses and rising wages squeezed margins across its Vietnamese outlets, according to people familiar with the operations.

    Retreat across regional hubs

    Vietnam is not the only market where the chain has pulled back. Oh!Some has already shut all stores in Singapore, where parent firm Blue Origin Group is based. Its only branch in Hong Kong also closed recently.

    Oh!Some sells beauty products, homeware, accessories, toys and daily essentials. The group had targeted Southeast Asia for rapid expansion. It drafted launch roadmaps for Thailand and Cambodia, and named Indonesia as its main regional engine.

    High overheads pinch lifestyle chains

    Budget lifestyle chains across Southeast Asia face stiff competition from rivals like Miniso and local value merchants. Massive central footprints make the problem worse. Oh!Some took a multi-level site at Vincom Center Dong Khoi, leaving the low-margin business exposed when basket sizes failed to cover prime leasing costs.

    Blue Origin Group has not stated whether it will exit Vietnam entirely or keep a smaller store footprint in secondary shopping centres.

  • Miniso Starts Global Pop-Up Tour with Lisa Featuring 70 Products

    Miniso Starts Global Pop-Up Tour with Lisa Featuring 70 Products

    Miniso opened a global pop-up tour in Bangkok on September 1 with K-pop star Lisa. The rollout introduces more than 70 co-branded products across Asia and the Americas. It follows a 22.4 per cent jump in first-half revenue as the retailer expands its international store network.

    The lineup spans apparel, bags, blind boxes and lifestyle accessories. Central to the range is the YoYo x Lisa Collection Vinyl Plush Surprise Box series. That line pairs the artist’s brand directly with Miniso’s proprietary character IP, YoYo.

    Tour Schedule and Asian Locations

    Bangkok’s IconSiam shopping complex hosted the debut before the tour heads to East Asia. The next activation opens at Omotesando Hills in Tokyo, running from September 11 to October 5.

    Three flagship pop-up locations in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen will open simultaneously on September 12. Jakarta hosts the final Southeast Asian stop in October.

    Beyond Traditional Licensing

    Merchandise strategy is shifting across the business. Instead of relying purely on third-party entertainment licenses, the chain couples its proprietary IP with celebrity partnerships. The approach aims to lift average selling prices and drive foot traffic into physical stores.

    For mall operators and rivals, the push raises competition for temporary space. Pop-up formats let Miniso test local demand and build shopper volume in prime retail corridors without immediate long-term lease commitments.

    Americas Rollout Follows Revenue Gains

    Financial results reported last month showed a 22.4 per cent revenue increase for the first half. Growth was driven by performance across mainland China and international markets.

    Overseas expansion follows the Asian run, with pop-up locations opening across the United States and Mexico in November.