Online fashion retailer Asos launches Chinese website
November 13, 2013 Leave a comment
Online fashion retailer Asos launches Chinese website
Asos.cn is eighth country-specific website for e-tailer, which operates in 237 countries and has seen soaring sales
theguardian.com, Tuesday 12 November 2013 16.17 GMT
Nick Robinson, chief executive of Asos, says the fashion brand’s Chinese website will ‘break down barriers’. Photograph: Suki Dhanda
Fashion website Asos is aiming to tap into the fast-growing Chinese market with the launch of a dedicated website for the country. “China continues to impress us with its steady growth. The launch will not only help navigate and break down existing barriers, but also dramatically improve the Asos experience for our fast-growing number of Chinese customers,” said Nick Robertson, the chief executive.Asos.cn is the eighth country-specific site for the e-tailer, which has seen the value of its shares nearly trebled to £57.32 in the past year amid soaring sales. Sales are expected to break through the £1bn barrier this financial year as the company benefits from shoppers’ switch to the internet and rapid expansion overseas. Asos, which operates in 237 countries and sells more than 65,000 products, made a profit before tax of £54.7m in the year to August, up 37% on the year before, while sales rose 40% to £753.8m.
Asos China will feature more than 6,000 different products priced in local currency by spring 2014, and will include both womenswear and menswear. It will stock the Asos own label and gradually introduce brands at all price levels including American Apparel, Mango, Ted Baker and Sonia by Sonia Rykiel.
The launch, on which Asos is spending up to £6m this year, will be supported by local editorial content and newsletters in a bid to drive traffic on Chinese social media sites such as Sina Weibo, in the same way that Asos has prospered from using western sites such as Twitter and Facebook.
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