instructive seminars on shoelace tying, and the care and preservation of shoes, will also be available. Customers will also have access to a production studio, where they can record unboxings and reviews,and generate content for social media. Local artists’ work is displayed around the store. “Tokyo serves as the perfect backdrop, a city that is constantly pushing the edges of innovation, fashion, music and art,” Jordan Brand president Craig Williams said. “[Featuring] a best-in-class retail assortment, World of Flight is a manifestation of the full potential of the brand. By connecting with people around the world through the values the Jumpman represents, we hope to create even deeper ties to our consumers and underline the culture that unites us all.” Atelier Cologne Japan French perfume retailer Atelier Cologne has opened its first physical store in Singapore, in collaboration with local distributor Aura Prestige. The store, located in Takashimaya, aims to take customers on “a voyage of self-expression through fragrant poetry, mixing natural materials and modern technologies while emphasising its dedication to sustainability”. The boutique’s wooden installations are made from sustainably certified panels, the brand states. All of Atelier Cologne’s collections are displayed on brushed-brass consultation tables that are recyclable and energy-efficient. A water drop sculpture made completely of recycled glass hangs in the centre of the store, representing the essence of nature infused into the brand’s perfumes. Customers can sample the brand’s two perfume collections – Collection Absolue, which includes energising scents inspired by nature’s balance and harmony, and Collection Rare, inspired by nature’scomplexity – in a thoughtfully designed environment that welcomes reconnection with nature. The brand made its Macau debut in 2021 with the establishment of its first store in Shoppes at Venetian. Freitag China Freitag, known for its one-of-a-kind items fashioned from recycled truck tarpaulins, has opened another store in Shanghai, stating it will be the brand’s most innovative yet. The store, which is located on Jiaozhou Road in Jing’An District, was built in conjunction with local business Kooo Architects. Freitag constructed the store from leftover materials. The walls are covered in construction debris and hoarding panels form the shop’s big facade. The plant-covered roof is intended to enhance biodiversity in the neighbourhood while also connecting the shop to the publicly accessible rooftop terrace. “With the local community continuing to grow, the new store aims to provide a platform going beyond a traditional understanding of retail,” the company said in a statement. The first floor is dedicated to a huge repair business, where specially trained Freitag employee Rainie Wu reconditions the brand’s signature bags from all around China, guaranteeing that the company’s products last even longer. Customers can also receive hands-on experience with the digital F-Cut customising tool in the adjacent workshop. The second and third floors house the whole Freitag collection, which includes about 900 different bags and 750 accessories. In 2018, Freitag made its entry into China with its first store in Shanghai, in collaboration with local distributor Harbook+. Kave Home Singapore Spanish furniture brand Kave Home has opened its first Southeast Asian flagship store in Singapore, in conjunction with local distributor Nook & Cranny. The Raffles City store offers an open 740sqm of furniture and décor at prices to fit every budget. Kave Home’s goal is to be an ‘all-in-one’ stop for anything furniture-related, offering well-designed furniture and accessories with a Spanish, European or contemporary flair. The brand has also launched an online portal for Singapore, which offers over 4000 SKUs across several categories and is targeted at the needs and tastes of local consumers. “The opening of our first flagship store in Singapore is an important milestone in our growth strategy,” CEO Francesc Julià Ametller said. “As the hub for the region, Singapore will boost our brand presence in this region and strengthen our position as a global leader in furniture, design and decoration solutions. The collaboration with Nook & Cranny will allow us to use their experience and consumer insights into the home and furnishing industryin Singapore and the region to offer products that meet customer demand, which will help us further accelerate market penetration.” Kave Home, which launched its first physical store in Spain in 2019, was created online in 2013. Since then, it has grown to more than 80 locations throughout Europe, Africa, Australia, Korea, New Caledonia and South America. Kave Home opened 42 new physical sites in 13 countries last year, fuelled by increasing internet orders. Fendi Japan Fendi, owned by LVMH, has launched its largest flagship store in Japan in Omotesando, following the opening of its first flagship store in South Korea. The brand’s in-house architecture department reinvented the store, which features Fendi’s current global concept, inspired by the brand’s headquarters in Rome’s Palazzo della Civilta Italiana. The rebuilt store’s facade, like the South Korea flagship’s, includes a geometric design finished in stainless-steel trapezoids and a similar-shaped opening with a glass window accented by 15 LED arches. Fendi Omotesando is a three-level, 855sqm space that houses the brand’s whole assortment of ready-to-wear, accessories and leather products. Fendi Home Décor and Fendi Kids Collection are also available at the label’s first concept shop in Japan. The store will meet Fendi’s aim of decreasing its carbon footprint and energy consumption this year and will receive LEED certification, the brand states. The store’s launch was attended by the house’s artistic director, Kim Jones, fashion designers Silvia Venturini Fendi and Delfina Delettrez Fendi, and global celebrities. McKinsey & Co estimates the luxury market in Japan will grow by about 4 per cent through 2025. “We anticipate that domestic shoppers, particularly younger and wealthier demographics, will drive this growth.” The consumer preference for premium and inexpensive brands will come at the price of the middle markets, a report by a management consulting firm states. McKinsey also stated that the eventual return of Chinese shoppers, combined with incremental price hikes, was projected to offset any prolonged supply-chain issues and boost Japan’s luxury recovery. Grand Seiko Singapore Japanese watch retailer Grand Seiko has opened its first store in Singapore, hoping to expand its footprint in Asia. The Grand Seiko APAC store, located at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, complements the brand’s thirdsubsidiary, Grand Seiko Asia-Pacific, which will serve the area from its headquarters in Singapore. Thong Sia Watch (Far East) Co, the sole distributor of Seiko and Grand Seiko in Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Macau, spearheaded the campaign. “Singapore is home to some of the most knowledgeable and passionate luxury watch enthusiasts in the world, and we are delighted that we can now provide them with direct access to the Grand Seiko world,” Seiko Watch Corporation president Akio Naito said. “We are very fortunate to have been able to obtain a prime location for the store, and we look forward towelcoming our clients at the Marina Bay Sands.” The new retail site has Grand Seiko’s contemporary design components, which embody the company’s brand idea, ‘The Nature of Time’. It has a basic design and a pleasant colour scheme of gold, white and blue. Grand Seiko was established as a separate brand in 2017 to distinguish itself from Seiko, which sells entry-level timepieces, and has since made tentative forays into global markets. The brand launched a store in Beverly Hills, California, in 2018, followed by one in Paris’ Place Vendôme in 2020. Gentle Monster Korea, Singapore & China Gentle Monster collaborated with Maison Margiela on a new series of sunglasses and eyewear – and launched pop-up shops all over the world. The Maison Margiela x Gentle Monster pop-ups opened in Seoul, New York, London, Singapore and three cities in China. A limited number of personalised pillows were provided to customers who made a purchase at one of the seven sites. The two companies’ collaboration resulted in a new ‘Créature’, for a campaign that employs Katerina Jebb’s high-resolution scanning technology. The manifestation is a genderless series that includes sunglasses and eyewear, designed in the artisanal workshop by Maison Margiela creative director John Galliano and Gentle Monster. It includes 11 different colourways of 11 different designs. Gentle Monster reinterprets Maison Margiela’s characteristic components, such as black mask, unfinished thread, and fabric embellishments. The eyewear partnership is accessible at both brands’ online and offline locations, along with select globalresellers. Gentle Monster owner IICombined invested $15 million in Chinese AR technology start-up Nreal last year. Starbucks Laos Starbucks is accelerating its expansion plans in the APAC region, announcing plans to create 400 new locations this year alone, including its first in Laos. In markets such as Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, the growth will encompass cities and locations outside of large metropolitan areas; for example, Starbucks wants to open a new store in Laos this year, after it first opened its doors in November in the capital city of Vientiane. The company’s Chinese and Japanese operations are not included in these deployment plans. Meanwhile, Starbucks also wants to grow into at least five more cities in India, to add to its existing portfolio of over 300 locations. Last year, the corporation added a net 8 per cent more stores. The US-based coffee brand has opened its 5000th facility in the region (excluding China and Japan) in South Korea, with a 500sqm drive-thru store in the business neighbourhood of Gwangyang-si. “Our 5000th store in Asia Pacific is a drive-thru store that speaks both to the changing habits of our customers and of our determination to meet them where it is most convenient, while still offering the Starbucks connection,” said Emmy Kan, president of Starbucks Asia Pacific. “We will continually enhance our store formats and innovate, not just to cater to changing customer behaviours, but also to fuel growth in the region.” Starbucks has more than doubled its number of drive-thru locations in the region in the last four years. This year, the company intends to open more than 100 new outlets. The company’s group president of international and channel development, Michael Conway, stated that the region has grown by more than 20 per cent, year on year, amid the recovery. “We are well positioned for further growth with our licensed business partners, who continue to elevate the Starbucks Experience across a range of innovative store formats,” Conway said. This story first appeared in the May 2023 issue of Inside Retail Asia Magazine.