Los Angeles-based American Apparel has launched a new online store serving Singapore.

The store at – store.americanapparel.sg – will boost its growing online audience in the region. Until now, customers in Singapore shopped through the company’s international e-commerce store, located at store.americanapparel.net.

The large number of purchases made by Singaporeans, second in southeast Asia only to customers in Hong Kong, encouraged American Apparel to launch the standalone site.

“Singapore is one of the most prosperous markets in southeast Asia and it’s a big one too – over 5.1 million people. For many years we’ve been shipping orders to loyal customers there and now with this new store we’ll be exposed to a bigger audience and be able to provide better, quicker service,” said Christina Naetscher, web director for American Apparel.

The store will accept orders placed in Singapore dollars. Inventory will be shipped from the company’s Los Angeles-based factory, allowing for a full selection of products to be sold. The standard shipping fee will be SGD10, with a delivery time of five to eight working days. The store will have a free shipping threshold of SGD100.

This will be the latest online expansion for American Apparel, which in recent months has launched a web store for Hong Kong as well as a mobile store in Japan. In addition to these web stores, the company also operates 13 retail locations in and around Southeast Asia.

American Apparel had 253 retail stores in 20 countries as at June 30.

GB