Aiming to raise its profile regionally, Thai fashion brand Jaspal will enter more neighbouring countries next year.

After three years in Malaysia where it now has four stores, Jaspal recently entered Vietnam and sees growth potential both there and in Indonesia.

The plan to enter Vietnam came up after the company experienced a 20-30 per cent increase in import demand from local merchants in Vietnam.

“After we test marketed in Vietnam, we found no one was in the mass premium market like we were. Our direct competitors are European fast fashion brands that already entered Thailand three or four years ago,” said assistant MD Viseth Singhsachathet .

“Believe it or not, our sales grew by about 20 per cent each year during that period, even 28 per cent last year,” Singhsachathet said.

Regional expansion will be executed through setting up standalone stores for individual labels or multi-brand shops under one roof.

“All our brands now have strong local recognition, and we’ll raise their image at the regional level over the next five years.”

Jaspal, founded in 1972, offers fashion items including shoes, apparel, bags, underwear and sunglasses under labels Jaspal, Footwork, CCOO, Footwork Noir, CPS Chap, Lyn and Lyn Around.

In Thailand, Jaspal currently has 120 standalone stores.

Jaspal plans to invest 350 million baht (US$11.39 million) for opening five new stores for each label this year in its home market.

The company has also attracted interest from importers in Myanmar and the Philippines.

GB