Retail News CRM

Tag: Vera

  • Li & Fung Partners with Vera Bradley: A Bold Foray into the Apparel Industry

    Li & Fung Partners with Vera Bradley: A Bold Foray into the Apparel Industry

    Global sourcing and supply chain leader, Li & Fung, is setting its sights on further growth within the apparel sector, following a successful trading year in home products. The firm plans to extend its licensing agreement with American lifestyle brand, Vera Bradley, and make a significant foray into the competitive industry.

    Expanded Agreement Details

    Under the terms of the extended deal, Li & Fung will be responsible for designing and manufacturing a variety of everyday clothing items. These will mirror Vera Bradley’s visual identity and include tops, sweaters, outerwear, dresses, and swimwear. The company’s designs will continue to feature its well-known patterns, colours, and quilting elements, with the aim of appealing to a wide, multigenerational audience.

    The new product line will be launched in stages. The first phase, slated for the holiday season in 2026, will unveil the winter collection, which includes tops, sweaters and outerwear. The subsequent expansion into dresses and swimwear is expected during the cruise season of 2027.

    Melinda Paraie, Chief Brand Officer of Vera Bradley, commented on the development, “Our foray into the apparel market is a significant step for Vera Bradley. We’ve been successful in the home category and we’re confident that our partnership will enable us to deliver high-quality apparel reflecting our brand’s ethos. It’s about meeting our customers in their comfort zone and offering them more avenues to express their personal style.”

    Distribution Plan

    The upcoming clothing range will be distributed widely, targeting customers across full-price, specialty, off-price, and warehouse club retail channels. This strategic approach is expected to maximize the reach of Vera Bradley’s offerings to their diverse customer base.

    Questions & Answers

    1. What are the terms of the expanded agreement between Li &Fung and Vera Bradley?
    Under the expanded agreement, Li & Fung will design and manufacture everyday apparel items like tops, sweaters, outerwear, dresses, and swimwear, reflecting Vera Bradley’s visual identity.

    2. When is the new product line expected to launch?
    The new product line will be launched in phases, beginning in the holiday season of 2026 with the release of cold-weather categories. The expansion into dresses and swimwear is planned for the cruise season of 2027.

    3. What is the proposed distribution plan for the new clothing range?
    The clothing range will be widely distributed across full-price, specialty, off-price, and warehouse club retail channels.

  • Thai electric car rolls out

    Thai electric car rolls out

    Thailand’s first electric car brand has made its debut amid scepticism from an industry expert about its commercial viability. Vera Automotive, founded on Oct 7, 2015 by five Thai engineers from King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL), yesterday introduced the Vera V1 battery electric vehicle (BEV), powered with a battery capacity of 22 kilowatts per hour, which can be registered with the Land Transport Department as a passenger car.

    The maximum speed of the Vera V1 is up to 105 kilometres an hour. It can run up to 180km per charge, which takes six hours to complete.

    Co-founder Wanchai Meesiri said all Vera cars are designed by Thai engineers under the Thai brand, but the company has hired the Chinese carmaker Geely Automotive to produce the BEVs. The company imports the cars as completely built-up (CBU) vehicles to Thailand.

    Vera V1 is subject to all related taxes similar to other imported vehicles, including an 80% import duty, a 10% excise tax for all types of electric vehicles, a 10% interior tax and a 7% value-added tax.

    Yossapong Laoonual, chairman of the Electric Vehicle Association of Thailand (Evat), said it’s a good sign for the country to create its own electric vehicles, even if the vehicles are made by foreign firms.

    A retail price below 1 million baht is affordable for Thai customers, he said.

    But Asst Prof Yossapong warned that any startup that is selling electric vehicles has to plan its marketing strategy carefully, as the Thai car market has many dimensions for consumers to consider, including brand, service and trust.

    “Electric vehicles for Thailand remain very new, and they’re unlikely to become popular or proliferate in the short term,” he said. “If you are a new company or brand, the best solution is to sell electric vehicles as a fleet to other agencies, which are easier to provide after-sales services for.”

    Mr Wanchai said the primary purpose for establishing Vera Automotive is to make Thai BEVs for the local market.

    Managing director and co-founder Werachet Khan-ngern said Vera vehicles aim to capture only a niche market.

    He expects to sell about 100 units of Vera this year.

    “We hope in the foreseeable future the government will come up with clearer policies and supporting measures once the number of electric vehicles increases,” Mr Werachet said.

    He said the firm will provide after-sales services at its head office on Ladprakao Road.

    Lees ook: