cessories). In an exclusive interview with Inside Retail Hong Kong, Elmond Cheung, head of Log-On in the Hong Kong market said the company strives to build a relationship with customers beyond just buying and selling. “Our mission is to enrich the customer’s lifestyle with fun, style and attitude. “We inspire and engage people on the latest trends and culture through unique experience beyond products,” he said. “We focus on engaging our customers to bring them values through unique experiences like Log-On ToGather and Manual Factory.” The Log-On brand was founded by a Japanese retail manager working in Hong Kong who launched City’super, and the first store opened in Festival Walk in 1999. The City’super business is majority owned by Wheelock subsidiary Wharf. “We are the biggest gift destination in Hong Kong, especially during holiday seasons like Christmas. With our new Manual Factory, we provide a place to create and present your gift with a more personal touch.” Manual Factory is an experiential concept store, designed to inspire shoppers by allowing personalisation of gifts. “We are not only doing a business, but focusing also on the personal touch and customer engagement.” Tailor-made handcrafted gifts, for example. “Log-On hopes to give a rebirth to the art of gift giving by providing customers with the chance to convey creativity and warmth in their presents,” explains Cheung. “The Manual Factory in Harbour City, a one stop gift centre will provide shoppers with a fantastic environment to personalise and create unique gifts for friends and loved ones. “On top of our gift enhancing machinery, we have pens and inks; stamps and seals; a DIY wrapping section; and a special wrapping counter to make your gift selection even more distinctive and unique. So long as you have the desire to create a special gift, Manual Factory will have the necessary tools and products to make it possible.” Log-On has different store formats with size ranges from 2500 sqft (232 sqm) to 17,000 sqft (1580 sqm), with the ideal size between 8000 sqft (745 sqm) to 10,000 (930 sqm) sqft “to provide our customers an unique shopping experience”. Log-On has just launched an eCommerce site, which is still in experimental stage. “We focus on offering selected niche and strategic brands,” says Cheung. He promises more innovation and more stores in the future. “We will continue to innovate to create more excitement for our customers. In recent years, we have been revamping our store formats to add new elements like different touchpoints to engage our customers. We have just opened our new store in Metro Plaza, and next year we will renovate our Festival Walk store to a new face and continue to expand in Hong Kong,” explains Cheung. “We currently have three Log-On stores in Shanghai (trading under the brandname Life by City’super) in Shanghai and two more will be open in 2017.” In Taiwan, the City’super brand has been licensed to a franchisee already and the first stores are imminent. Log-On to gather brings designers together The Log-On ToGather concept is a place where creativity and innovation meet, says Cheung. “When you walk into Log-On Fashion Walk store (located in Causeway Bay), you can easily visualise this creative culture. Merging retail and creative space is common in Taiwan and Japan, but rarely seen here in Hong Kong. Touch points like Traveler’s Notebook Corner, Puzzle Bar, Beauty Labo and Log-On ToGather were not set up just for the shopping experience, but primarily to facilitate interaction with customers.” In fact, Log-On fans can now join regular workshops organised in Log-On ToGather to develop their personal style. In addition, it is a prime gathering place for young design talents and audiences to have fun and be inspired and share visions. “In September this year, a ‘Style Flash Crossover Project’ initiated by Log-On and a local design brand Ofess, brought together brands and young designers for crossover challenges. We hope to be able to carry that out year after year to establish a sustainable designer culture.” “We hope to initiate a community that not only nurture young designers but also provide a ground for designer engagement and pilot sales opportunities,” says Rita Au, senior manager of the Log-On Business Unit. Through proactive collaboration with partnering brand, Log-On hopes to cultivate the growth of local designers by fostering social network, impact and design culture through workshops, gatherings and designer incubation projects.