![]() SL: Yes, Urban Outfitters is about to enter Israel, opening a first store in Tel Aviv at the end of March. It will be a franchised store, a first for Urban Outfitters. But before Asia, we will begin to venture outside Europe starting with the Middle East.įNW: Are you ready to announce a store opening in the region? We are hoping to open a physical store in China and in Japan within three years. In order to test the market, Urban Outfitters has been available on the Tmall website since the end of 2016. We are considering whether to set up a joint-venture company in China, or to operate in the country directly. There are huge opportunities there, because a lot of young people already know the Urban Outfitters brand and are fond of this type of product. In the last few months, I travelled extensively across China and Japan. SL: Of course! We have Asia in our sights. Are you considering expansion into other continents? The Paris store, opened on 21st February, extends over 900 m2 - FashionNetworkįNW: Urban Outfitters currently operates 50 stores outside the USA, all of them in Europe. Urban Outfitters is not interested in operating 300 to 400 stores on the American continent. Our customers are always connected, and they shuttle back and forth between the web and the stores: 45% of our sales in the USA are generated online, and this share is increasing rapidly, while in-store business remains stable. SL: Our two growth vectors are e-commerce and international expansion. ![]() Creativity is our DNA.įNW: Urban Outfitters has ambitious international plans is this a way to counter the difficulties the retail industry is facing in the USA? The way we approach it, is to keep changing our range all the time, with a lot of new brands and new products. You are either a true budget brand, like Primark, or you are Gucci, but in between these two, it's tough going. I think it's very difficult to last for long in the retail world if you don't have a truly unique, inspirational concept. For the Paris store inauguration, we presented a special collection by Champion. Our own label makes up 70% of the range, and besides it there is a selection of brands, which produce exclusive capsule collections for some. SL: Each of our 200 stores worldwide is different, in terms of interior decoration, ambience and also the range on offer. We are optimistic about this store's prospects: the way rue de Rivoli is evolving is very interesting for us, notably with the planned re-opening of the La Samaritaine complex in 2019.įNW: Is your Paris showcase different from your other stores around the world? We needed the perfect premises, in a building full of character, on a shopping street where our store would be visible to consumers, and not inside a shopping mall. We have been looking for a retail location in Paris for several years. Paris is top of our list and, if things will go well, we are going to consider other major cities in the country. In London alone, we already operate 10 stores, and this gives you an idea of the potential. We really wish to open several of them in Paris. Stefan Laban: Clearly, we are not going to France to open just one store. What are your plans for the French market? The exclusive collection created by Champion for the Urban Outfitters Paris store’s opening - Urban Outfittersį: You recently opened the first Urban Outfitters flagship in Paris. group, first in charge of international operations, then of strategic partnerships. ![]() He formerly worked for seven years at the Gap Inc. ![]() Laban joined URBN International in 2016, and is piloting its international expansion from London. US fashion and lifestyle retailer Urban Outfitters has opened its first French store in Paris, and Stefan Laban, Global Head of parent company URBN International, owner among others of Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie and Free People, talked to about the group's expansion plans in Europe, the Middle East and Asia in the next three years.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |