Tag: Valiram

  • Blue Bottle Coffee Enters Thailand with Two Bangkok Cafes

    Blue Bottle Coffee Enters Thailand with Two Bangkok Cafes

    Blue Bottle Coffee will enter Thailand with two Bangkok locations developed alongside regional retail operator Valiram. The rollout at Dusit Central Park and the EmQuartier shopping mall follows the brand’s acquisition from Nestle by Chinese private equity firm Centurium Capital for less than $400 million earlier in 2026.

    Valiram is managing the Thai rollout after steering Blue Bottle Coffee’s entry into Singapore in 2024. The two companies are dividing the Bangkok launch across two distinct retail formats.

    Two Formats for Bangkok

    The Dusit Central Park cafe will operate as an open-format unit geared toward everyday foot traffic and core espresso drinks. The second site, at EmQuartier in the Sukhumvit commercial district, will serve as the brand’s flagship cafe in Thailand.

    That flagship will feature hand-brewed pour-overs, single-origin coffees and rotating seasonal menus. Both stores put the California-founded brand into direct competition with established specialty operators and international chains in Bangkok’s crowded cafe scene.

    Valiram Partnership and Centurium Ownership

    Blue Bottle Coffee already runs stores across Japan, South Korea, mainland China, Hong Kong and Singapore. Adding Bangkok extends its push into Southeast Asia under Centurium Capital, the private equity group that built Luckin Coffee into China’s largest coffee chain by store count.

    Valiram provides local operational muscle, bringing real estate relationships across luxury malls and transit hubs in the region. The group continues to handle store buildouts and staffing as the chain prepares to open doors at Dusit Central Park first before launching the EmQuartier flagship.

  • Valiram opens Indonesia’s first Salvatore Ferragamo store

    Valiram opens Indonesia’s first Salvatore Ferragamo store

    Valiram, the Malaysian retail group, has opened the first Salvatore Ferragamo store in Indonesia. Located in Plaza Indonesia, the store is part of Valiram’s growing international network of stores under multiple licensed brands, including Victoria’s Secret, Tumi, Bulgari and MLB.

    The Indonesian store offers a range of the brand’s premium handbags as well as shoes.

    Salvatore Ferragamo was founded in Florence in 1927 by its namesake fashion designer and offers high-end clothing, accessories, and footwear for men and women, along with fragrances, watches, and eyewear.

    In July, the fashion business unveiled a brand-new concept store in Soho, one of New York City’s most fashionable neighbourhoods, at 63 Greene Street. It is the luxury brand’s first foray into fusing an upscale retail environment with digital creativity and customisation.

    Valiram has retail stores and businesses throughout the Asia-Pacific region, including Singapore, Indonesia, Australia, the Philippines, Thailand, Macau, and Vietnam.

    The business, which runs more than 350 stores, boasts 200 brands spanning many different categories, including fashion and accessories, watches and jewelry, perfume and cosmetics, as well as confectionery and dining concepts.

  • Valiram names new regional executive team

    Valiram names new regional executive team

    Premium retailer Valiram has announced a series of executive appointments across the group, including regional outposts in Thailand and Indonesia.

    Linda Lim is named Country General Manager, Thailand, while Kunal Kapoor has been appointed Country General Manager, Indonesia. Warodom Pranbunpook takes on the role of General Manager of the retail group’s sports division.

    As reported, former DFS Group Global Fashion Operations Director Jason Blejwas recently joined Valiram as group-level Senior Vice President Merchandising and Planning.

    Valiram said the appointments would steer its business to new heights amid challenging times.

    Valiram Chief Executive Officer Ian Lim commented: “Valiram has always been committed to creating exceptional experiences for our customers throughout our businesses across the region, and we believe that these individuals will continue to uphold that commitment and drive success in their respective divisions and markets.”

    Linda Lim has experience in luxury retail in both local market and travel retail formats. She was instrumental in the growth of the Kate Spade New York brand in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Australia, and Vietnam, overseeing the launch and operations of 30 stores.

    Her experience in Valiram’s travel retail division includes managing the beauty and fragrances category as well as fashion brands Dunhill, Coach, Hugo Boss and Polo Ralph Lauren in Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia and Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore.

    Kapoor has over 15 years in luxury and fashion retail, including management experience in the Middle East.

    He joined Valiram in December 2019 as General Manager of the group’s travel retail division.

    Pranbunpook has 19 years of experience in management of leading global brands in Thailand and Southeast Asia. Prior to joining Valiram, he was ASICS Country General Manager Thailand.

    As General Manager of Sports, he will oversee the expansion and development of the sports division, which, according to Valiram, has been on a growth trajectory since its launch in May 2020, with the opening of Thailand’s largest Nike store.

  • Valiram opens duty-free store at Kota Kinabalu

    Valiram opens duty-free store at Kota Kinabalu

    Malaysian luxury and lifestyle retail specialist, Valiram, together with East Malaysian property developer, Jesselton Waterfront Holdings, has opened a duty-free store in the Jesselton Mall in Kota Kinabalu.

    The 37000sqft sea-front mall presents the first downtown travel-retail concept in the vicinity, offering international travellers an opportunity to shop in a duty-free environment and bringing luxury beauty, fashion and timepiece brands to the Kota Kinabalu city centre.

    “Valiram continues to invest in Sabah and is excited with the opening of our latest venture, the Jesselton Duty-Free,” said Valiram executive director Sharan Valiram.

    “This exception offering redefines the shopping experience for tourists in Kota Kinabalu. We are indeed privileged to be able to partner Jesselton Waterfront Holdings in developing this first-of-its kind downtown duty-free retail in East Malaysia. The shopping experience here is set to reshape the retail environment in Sabah.”

  • Steve Madden has launched in Malaysia

    Steve Madden has launched in Malaysia

    American footwear brand Steve Madden has opened its first store in Malaysia. The new location at Mid Valley Megamall in Kuala Lumpur is the second Steve Madden store launched by the brand’s retail partner Valiram after the first opening in Takashi­maya Singapore.

    A statement from the brand that describes the new store’s aesthetic as “distilled urban” reads: “Making use of several materials, the intention is to stage the stars – shoes and accessories – in a way that allows each of them to tell their style story.”

    Featured in store is the brand’s Holiday 2018 collection for women, as well as its signature rock-n-roll-inspired shoes and leather goods.

  • Coach Asia revamps duty free network

    Coach Asia revamps duty free network

    US accessories and lifestyle label Coach Asia is remodelling its duty-free and travel retail stores to tie in with its new “modern luxury” concept, and is planning further expansion in the region.

    The company says the aim is to provide a “warm and inviting” environment in which to showcase the latest products from Coach creative director Stuart Vevers.

    “The performance of the renovated stores has been very strong, and the concept has been extremely well received by the Asian consumer,” Coach International division vice-president of sales Paulo Colino said.

    “We are pleased with the progress we have made updating the stores and expect to have nearly half of our shops in the region remodelled by the summer of next year.”

    Coach has nearly 80 shops spread over 15 countries, including airport and cruise-ship locations.
    Key stores for the renovation include DFS and China Duty Free in Siem Reap, Ginza with Lotte in Tokyo, Kansai Airport with JatCo, Hongqiao Wing 5 with Dufry and Kunming Airport with Lagardere TR, Phuket downtown with King Power, Sentosa Plaza with Valiram in Singapore, and Sunplaza and Chinachem with DFS in Hong Kong.

    “Given the success we have seen in this region, we plan to expand into additional countries in Asia, including India and Myanmar,” says Colino.

    Coach is now a quarter way through the refit program.