By Aimee Chanthadavong
Accessories chain diva has opened its first stores in Beijing, China.
The three stores located in various districts of the city follow the launch of diva in Shanghai in September where it opened its first two stores in Mainland China.
Shane Fallscheer, diva global CEO, told Retailbiz that the decision to open in Beijing was as a result of a number of factors.
“In terms of deciding which regions to open in, the decision is based on a number of factors including the territory having a large population of young women who have great fashion awareness and keep up to date on the latest international trends,” he said.
“The ability for us to operate as a stand-alone business, the ability to secure the best retail sites and also having the right people on the ground that have the local country know-how and also have extensive retail operations experience were also influencing factors.
“Unlike other retailers, once we set foot in a market, our goal is to build critical mass. It is not uncommon for us to open 50 stores in the first year of operations. To be able to accomplish this type of rapid roll-out we need to have a experienced retail team on the ground.”
According to Fallscheer, the diva brand aims to offer quality products at affordable prices to gain a competitive edge over its competitors.
“Our customers love shopping in our stores as they know there are always new products arriving each week. As we have more than 20 different ranges in store at any one time our customers can always find something to match their outfits whether it is for work, a night out on the town, or to glam up to go to the races,” he said.
In addition to China, diva plans to expand to the Middle East and Brazil next year.
“We have plans to move into other markets such as India, Western Europe and Japan, however all of these markets currently have barriers to entry that we are working on overcoming,” Fallscheer said.
Currently, the brand has over 450 stores worldwide and by the end of this year expects to have over 500.