Aussie Boot Maker Joins Secoo in Time for Singles’ Day

Chinese luxury e-commerce platform Secoo announced on Sunday that Australian boot brand and leather maker R.M. Williams has joined the e-tailer and will offer three boot collections for the upcoming Singles’ Day sales on November 11. The iconic boot maker (which also produces clothing and accessories) was founded by bushman Reginald Murray Williams in Adelaide, Australia in 1932 and has since grown into a multinational corporation and counts movie stars Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig as fans of its products. Today, the luxury brand LVMH’s investment vehicle L. Catterton Asia backs the company, which currently makes over 80 percent of its products in Southeast Asian countries, including China. On China’s biggest online shopping day, R.M. Williams will offer customers a selection of boots from its Burnished, The Craftsman, and The Signature Craftsman collections, according to a press release. The boot collections that are made in Australia are sold between 375 and 650. Last year, Singles’ Day generated more than 25 billion in sales for e-commerce giant Alibaba, and other e-tailers have also benefited from the shopping holiday and continue to seek strategies to attract more customers. Neither R.M. Williams nor Secoo indicated whether the boots would be discounted for the e-commerce shopping event or what their regular retail prices would be on the platform. The company announced plans in July to open up shop in China by the end of 2018 and is likely receiving help from LVMH since the luxury group maintains a strong position in the China market. L. Catterton Asia chairman Ravi Thakran said in an interview with Financial Review at the time that he expects R.M. Williams’ sales to grow after its entry into China. L. Catterton invested 175 million in Secoo in July to strengthen its ties and marketing with LVMH brands. More recently, the luxury e-tailer has been busy refreshing its image to attract more consumers through its partnership with Chinese photographer Chen Man, which the company hopes will boost its luxury image.

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Aussie Boot Maker Joins Secoo in Time for Singles’ Day