Global British shoe brand Clarks will give its iconic classics a dedicated showcase with the launch of 10 standalone Clarks Originals stores in China during the next year.
The first store has already opened in the Yue Hui Mall in Shanghai and the second store will open in the World Financial Center, also in Shanghai, in November.
The only other standalone Clarks Originals store in the world opened last year in Amsterdam.
The Clarks Originals concept is dedicated to footwear legends such as the Desert Boot (65 years old this year) and the Wallabee; as well as stylish new designs such as Trigenic, an innovative shoe concept that merges the best of the past with the technology of the future.
Clarks Originals is a sub brand of Clarks and targets a consumer cohort that prides itself on creativity and individualism. Clarks Originals invests in designer collaborations and updates of classics with a focus on prints, tweeds, or unexpected colours.
Social media activity is heavily driving the promotion around the China stores’ launch. This includes a dedicated website, WeChat page and WeChat campaign that targets editors, musicians, fashionistas and photographers with a high number of followers. Marketing activity also consists of a crossover with Herschel and a number of further creative collaborations are in the pipeline.
Nancy Huang, president, Clarks Asia Pacific commented said Clarks sees great potential for Clarks Originals in Asia, where consumers want to see creativity, crossovers and collaborations between brands and designers they admire.
“Clarks Originals is also an important way for us to reinforce our British heritage and our reputation for craftsmanship. Shanghai is a strategic location from which to launch the concept in Asia because of its ever- increasing role as an influencer market in global fashion.”
Clarks is a £1.5 billion business, which is celebrating its 190th anniversary in 2015. The brand, which operates through retail, wholesale, franchise and online channels has a presence in 130 markets worldwide.
Clarks is the leading shoe company in both the UK and the US and has been in Asia for 20 years. It has a strong footprint in China with 800 points of sale and hundreds of stores across Asia including the markets of India, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.
C&J Clark Limited, owners of the Clarks brand, the privately owned footwear business, was founded in Street, Somerset in the UK by the Clark family in 1825. Still based in Street, the Clarks Group designs, develops and sells a wide range of footwear and accessories for men, women and children.
