American fashion retailer Forever 21 has opened its doors to China.

Forever 21 drew a crowd of nearly 5000 to the grand opening of its first mainland store in Beijing APM on Wangfujing. The four-level store is spread across 25,000 sqft and offers clothing, footwear and accessories for men, women and children.

“Forever 21 strengthens our status as home to European and US fast fashion retailers in Beijing and we look forward to many more opportunities to work together,” said Jimmy Wong, executive director, Sun Hung Kai Properties, the developer of Beijing APM.

The opening is the second attempt to capture a share of the Chinese market. Forever 21 has briefly operated a store in Changsu, however, it was shut down two years ago due to the remoteness of the location.

Undaunted by China’s slowdown, Forever 21 plans to progressively add stores in the mainland. The company said that it is looking for a location in Shanghai to open its next store.

“We’ve been in the fashion industry for 28 years, and economic cycles have been part of our life. We will not downsize our expansion plans due to the economic slowdown. Our focus is to find great locations for new shops,” said Forever 21 executive VP Larry Meyer.

In January this year, Forever 21 opened its first store in Hong Kong at Causeway Bay.

Forever 21 was founded by couple Do Won Chang and Jin Sook Chang, Korean immigrants who opened their first store in Highland Park, Los Angeles in 1984.

GB