Beijing Boutique First Asian Location For Brand, Joining Stores In Europe, Russia, UK, USA#
While the trend last year in the fashion industry was to close down stores in stagnant markets like Japan and open new ones in emerging markets like China, it appears that the trend next year could be to bypass Japan altogether. Recently, the Spanish brand "by basi," the leisure line by designer Armand Basi, opened its first-ever Asian location at the Gate (中关购物中心) in Beijing.
Currently, by basi operates over 100 stores in nine countries: its native Spain, Belgium, France, the UK, Ireland, Greece, Russia, the U.S., and now China. Possibly enticed by the success of its Spanish fast-fashion counterpart Zara -- which now operates nearly 50 stores in mainland China -- by basi has apparently decided that greener pastures lie in China than in ultra-luxury-obsessed South Korea or in the tough Japanese market.
While China's fierce, and increasingly saturated, retail market is no pushover itself, by basi seems confident that its youth-oriented designs and European background should be enough to get its foot in the door. As Greater China manager "Ivy" told the Chinese media, the current line, with its "popular shawls and knitted shirts, brightly-colored down jackets, campus-style baseball jackets and sweaters, is bound to catch on with trendsetters."
Though by basi has not yet announced plans to open additional locations in China, it's been reported that the company will collaborate with HMV on a range of limited-edition items specifically for the Beijing market, which will likely be sold exclusively online.