- National Geographic Apparel Exceeds Sales Target at Beijing Flagship Store... Triple-Digit Growth in Hong Kong Compared to Previous Year
- Plans to Continue Opening Additional Stores Through the Second Half of the Year in Australia, New Zealand, and Beyond Asia
[The Nature Holdings 'National Geographic Apparel' Beijing No.1 Store Exterior. (Photo provided by The Nature Holdings)]
‘National Geographic Apparel’ has successfully taken its first step in China, the largest market in Asia, and accelerated its mainland expansion.
Lifestyle specialist company The Nature Holdings Co., Ltd. (CEO Park Young-jun) announced on the 9th that the first month sales of the first ‘National Geographic Apparel’ store in Beijing, China, which opened in April, exceeded the target by 120%, putting it on a growth trajectory.
The Nature Holdings previously opened the first ‘National Geographic Apparel’ store on April 25th at the main shopping mall in downtown Beijing, ‘Beijing Hopson Mall.’ Last month, they completed the establishment of a local joint venture (JV) with the global fashion group BESTSELLER (凌致), officially kicking off the expansion of ‘National Geographic Apparel’ stores in China.
In the Chinese market, The Nature Holdings plans to open multiple ‘National Geographic Apparel’ stores within the year in prime locations that meet optimal conditions such as top-tier status, high ranking, and ample space, aiming to position the brand as a premium brand locally.
In particular, National Geographic Apparel intends to expand its target consumer group by offering trendy designs and a variety of National Geographic lifestyle collections, including camping, to build a strong fan base mainly among the local Gen-Z.
In fact, after the opening of the National Geographic Apparel store in Beijing, local Gen-Z consumers who feel a sense of familiarity with the National Geographic IP and storytelling have shown great anticipation. These local Gen-Z visitors spend a lot of time exploring the store interior and have shown high interest in the trendy product designs and ‘big logo’ items of National Geographic Apparel.
[Local consumers visiting The Nature Holdings' 'National Geographic Apparel' Beijing No.1 store in China. (Photo by The Nature Holdings)]
National Geographic Apparel plans to expand its loyal fan base by creating an interactive National Geographic store design that provides an immersive shopping experience for local consumers such as China’s Gen-Z, while strengthening a consistent brand experience (BX).
Since entering Hong Kong in September 2019, National Geographic Apparel has added two more stores in April this year, operating a total of eight stores. Sales (as of May) have increased by 237% year-over-year, showing an upward trend in performance. In particular, the Mong Kok Station store, which opened on April 21, has established itself as a flagship store on ‘Sai Yeung Choi Street,’ the busiest fashion street in Hong Kong, securing both brand awareness and sales growth opportunities.
At the first store in Taiwan, strategic local marketing targeting local customers, including launching exclusive products, has generated a strong response. The recent weekend visitor count at the ‘National Geographic’ Taiwan first store located in the main shopping mall in downtown Taichung, ‘Mitsui Lalaport Taichung,’ has reached 10,000, indicating growing local interest in the brand.
This year, The Nature Holdings is expanding its global business beyond Asia to the Oceania continent. So far, three stores have been opened in Melbourne and Sydney, and a fourth local store is planned to open this month. The Nature Holdings, which operates National Geographic Apparel wholesale through its Australian local partner Alquemie Group, plans to open two additional National Geographic Apparel stores each in Australia and New Zealand in the second half of the year, operating a total of eight stores in Oceania by the end of the year.
A representative of The Nature Holdings said, “The National Geographic Apparel business in China is currently at the market entry stage, and premium positioning is important. To this end, we are carefully selecting and finalizing the location conditions of the stores to be opened strategically. With the establishment of the local joint venture completed, we plan to expand the distribution network without any setbacks according to the direction.” He added, “This year, National Geographic Apparel plans to expand its domestic duty-free distribution network, so the increasing trend of Chinese tourists in Korea and Hong Kong is expected to create sales growth synergy both domestically and internationally.”
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
