KOLON Industries' FnC division (hereinafter KOLON FnC) announced on the 28th that the global luxury golf apparel brand G/FORE has opened stores in Japan and China.
KOLON FnC signed an exclusive master license agreement with G/FORE's U.S. headquarters last November, and will open stores in major commercial areas of both countries starting this spring/summer season to actively develop the business.
G/FORE officially opened a store on the 25th at the luxury shopping mall Ginza Six in Tokyo, Japan. Ginza Six is Japan's largest luxury complex shopping mall, featuring global high-end brands such as Louis Vuitton and Celine. The plan is to target Japanese customers with strong purchasing power for premium brands.
On the 15th, G/FORE opened a store at the premium shopping mall MIXC in Shenzhen, China. During the first half of the year, a new store is set to open at the iconic Plaza 66 in Shanghai. Both locations are representative distribution channels in China where global luxury brands are present. G/FORE plans to use these locations as bases to actively target the premium consumer segment and fashion opinion leaders in first-tier cities in China.
This expansion is described by the company as a strategic move based on KOLON FnC's experience in developing golf apparel brands for over 30 years, rather than just simple overseas expansion. The plan is to focus on designing apparel products centered around goods targeting the growing interest in K fashion and the predominance of male golfers among premium clientele in China and Japan.
Yoo Seok-jin, CEO of KOLON FnC, noted, “Just as G/FORE has successfully built a retail environment based on an excellent understanding of the Korean market and consumers, we will leverage accumulated know-how and capabilities to achieve stable establishment in Japan and China.” He added, “We aim to create a new growth model in the Asian fashion market based on an integrated partnership that organically connects brands, markets, and customers.”