Canada’s Loblaw, parent of Joe Fresh, has partnered with Origin & Co to open up to 30 stores in South Korea over the next five years.
One of the first units will open in the Lotte World Mall earlier this year and a flagship store will follow in Seoul later this year.
Founded in 2006, Joe Fresh is a niche apparel chain offering modern styles and accessible designs in lifestyle collections for men, women and children.
“We believe that Joe Fresh is ideally positioned for South Korea, a fashion-conscious market highly receptive to smart, classic design that is well-priced and well-executed,” said Sungho Chung, director of domestic enterprise at Origin & Co.
Loblaw has also partnered with Fawaz A. Alhokair & Co to open at least 96 stores in 17 countries in the Middle East, North Africa and Europe by 2018 and Retail Arabia International to open at least 15 stores in five countries in the Middle East by 2018.
The partnerships represent the first expansion for Joe Fresh beyond North America.
“These first international agreements signify an important milestone for Joe Fresh as we build on the strong foundation we’ve established at home in Canada,” said Joe Mimran, creative director of Joe Fresh.
Joe Fresh is currently available online, in more than 340 retail locations across Canada, in six freestanding stores in New York, including a flagship location on Fifth Avenue, and in over 650 J.C. Penney stores across the US.
