TMCnet News
Armani goes online in ChineseNov 28, 2010 (China Daily - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- BEIJING (CHINA DAILY/ANN) -- It's all in Chinese and the prices are all in yuan. The address? www.emporioarmani.cn. Italian fashion giant Giorgio Armani has announced that its online store is open for business in the fastest-growing consumer market in the world. Chinese shoppers will now be able to browse through the season's Armani collections for men and women, including the EA7 sports line, as well as the label's well-loved jeans, jewelry, perfumes, watches and eyewear. Giorgio Armani says he has observed an increased enthusiasm for online shopping in the Chinese market. "I decided to open an Emporio Armani online store in China where we have identified a significant group of fashion consumers, who will certainly appreciate this new approach," he says. In the past eight years, the group has invested in more than 40 Emporio Armani stores on the Chinese mainland. "Now China has Armani stores that can rival our best in New York, London, Paris, Milan or Tokyo. We believe this launch is the next logical step to serve our customers better, and to reach out to new customers who do not know our stores, or do not have easy access to them," says John Hooks, deputy chairman of Giorgio Armani. The website reflects the label's spirit and vision: the eagle logo, white background and simple layout. The one difference is that the site is specially designed for Chinese consumers. Models are Chinese-Japanese actor Takeshi Kaneshiro and Taiwanese actress Fanny Shu, and the language used is simplified Chinese. Armani, who retains total control of all stores, also spent much time perfecting the website. The design, product and attentive service were all under his personal scrutiny. Catalogs and prices are identical to other online stores. This is the group's fourth store on the Web, after the first was launched in the United States in 2007. At present, Armani has more than 160 points of sale all over China. "But three quarters of our business is still done in Europe and North America, with the remaining 25 percent from the rest of the world. China is now a significant part of that segment," Hooks says. Another luxury brand, Gucci, went online in China in October. To see more of the Asia News Network, go to http://www.asianewsnet.net/home/ Copyright (c) 2010, China Daily, Beijing / Asia News Network Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com. |