Agnes b. Group, the French fashion brand created by designer Agnes Trouble, will double its stores in mainland China to tap growing demand that’s made the country a “bright spot” in the retail industry.
Agnes b., which operates 234 stores globally, will open seven outlets in China, adding to the seven it already has in Beijing and Shanghai, said Peter Leong, its regional commercial manager. The new outlets will be opened in the next three months, he said in an interview in Hong Kong today.

Retailers are spending on marketing and opening outlets in China to attract customers as the government put in place a 4 trillion yuan ($585 billion) economic stimulus package to revive growth, focusing on increasing local consumption and investment. Retail sales in China rose 15.2 percent in May, the fastest pace in four months, government data showed.

“The Chinese economy is just so resilient,” Leong said at retail conference in Hong Kong. “When everyone else is going down, it’s been going up.”

The retailer derived as much as 20 percent of sales at its Hong Kong stores from mainland Chinese customers, Leong said. “China remains the bright spot for us.”

He declined to say where the new outlets will be or how much they will cost.

Agnes b.’s new stores in China will average between 10,000 and 15,000 square feet, Leong said, adding the collection will be tailored with “little changes” to meet preferences of mainland Chinese customers.

“Yes, they do like brighter colors,” Leong said of mainland Chinese customers. “But Chinese customers are getting more sophisticated in their dressing.”

By Wing-Gar Cheng and Andrea Wong　Source：bloomberg