HONG KONG — This spring, BCBG Max Azria will have new momentum in South Asia, boosted by a new distribution network and two new flagship stores. As of March 1, 2001, the company will be represented in Hong Kong, China and Taiwan by Imaginex Hong Kong Ltd., which also works with brands such as Tod’s, Via Spiga and Salvatore Ferragamo. By then, BCBG also will have its first stand-alone stores here and in Shanghai.
The store here, slated to open at the end of February, will take up 2,500 square feet on two floors of prime space on Canton Road in Kowloon. A few weeks later, a 1,500-square-foot store will open in Plaza 66, a brand-new and much-hyped mall in Shanghai.
Speaking from his office in Vernon, Calif., BCBG founder Max Azria described the Hong Kong opening as “extremely important in our overall strategy for Asia. It marks our first full-concept location within the city, which allows us to showcase the complete image of the collection for the first time, while further opening our window to Asia.”
That window also will include Shanghai, and ultimately more free-standing stores in China, according to Jocelyn Tam, senior manager of merchandising and business development for Imaginex.
She believes the brand holds great potential for the mainland — despite its lack of exposure there so far — because it’s both trendy and relatively affordable.
“It will do especially well in Shanghai, where women are very fashionable,” she said. Azria said he expects the Hong Kong store to bring in some $2,000 in sales per square foot annually. All figures are converted at current exchange rates.
This isn’t the brand’s first foray into China. BCBG has nine stores in Taiwan, which are being restructured as part of the Imaginex deal. Upscale retailer Lane Crawford has carried the line in its four doors here.
Azria sees the growth of his business in the Asian region as being powered by stand-alone boutiques.
“A healthy presence at both the wholesale and retail level are important in the growth of our business. A woman who shops at a boutique does not necessarily shop at a department store, and a woman who shops at a department store does not necessarily shop at a boutique. Upscale department stores such as Lane Crawford are extremely important in the success of a brand in Asia, but it is also important to have the complete image of a brand represented through a free-standing store.”