ABG partners ImagineX to expand Juicy Couture in Asia

ImagineX Group, Asia's leading retail, brand management and distribution company, and Authentic Brands Group, LLC ('ABG'), the new owner of Juicy Couture, announced a long-term franchise partnership which will drive market expansion and category development, to forge Juicy Couture's position as a leading  contemporary lifestyle fashion brand in China. The partnership will provide the momentum to add more Juicy Couture stores throughout Asia; expand the brand's reach with new product lines; and support further regional growth initiatives.

 

ImagineX Group, Asia's leading retail, brand management and distribution company, and Authentic Brands Group, LLC ('ABG'), the new owner of Juicy #

ImagineX, a company within The Lane Crawford Joyce Group, first acquired the management and distribution rights of Juicy Couture for Greater China and South East Asia in 2006 and now operates more than 80 points of sales in Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, mainland China, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. 

 

ImagineX Group, Asia's leading retail, brand management and distribution company, and Authentic Brands Group, LLC ('ABG'), the new owner of Juicy #

As a first mover contemporary brand in the region, the Juicy Couture brand is recognized by customers across Asia for its unique LA inspired energy and style. With a vertically integrated team dedicated to the business, ImagineX has been proactively involved in product design and development, marketing and creative, uniquely tailored to its market. As a result, Juicy's Couture's Greater China business has consistently delivered high double-digit growth year on year and has continued to report robust growth over the past year despite the market slowdown.

 

ImagineX Group, Asia's leading retail, brand management and distribution company, and Authentic Brands Group, LLC ('ABG'), the new owner of Juicy #

The new partnership covers a minimum term of 10 years with an option to extend to a further two terms of 10 years underlining ABG's commitment to evolve Juicy Couture into a lifestyle brand and a shared vision with ImagineX of Greater China's crucial role in driving the global business. 

 

ImagineX Group, Asia's leading retail, brand management and distribution company, and Authentic Brands Group, LLC ('ABG'), the new owner of Juicy #

The next phase of growth will focus on brand extensions to create a complete lifestyle brand, and an integrated distribution network beyond shopping malls. Building on the success of Juicy Couture's Black Label Collection in Asia, a new footwear collection produced by Steve Madden will launch in 2015. Intimates and Juicy Couture Girls Collections will also be added, with freestanding stores planned in the upcoming years. More than 40 points of sale will be opened in key locations, while a major push in e-commerce, with both omni-channel and wholesale online accounts, will significantly extend the brand's reach across the region.

 

ImagineX Group, Asia's leading retail, brand management and distribution company, and Authentic Brands Group, LLC ('ABG'), the new owner of Juicy #

Jamie Salter, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Authentic Brands Group, commented, "We are extremely excited to partner with ImagineX Group to develop Juicy Couture into a true global lifestyle. We look forward to unveiling our new concept stores in strategic locations across the US, in 2015, which we believe will take the brand to new heights in the domestic market.