THE BEST OF INTIMA – 02/2010 - 119

SM: Thanks to our business strategies we now have around 100, 000 VIP clients from Shanghai and the region.
How many lingerie brands are on sale in your store and what percentage of the entire apparel sales does lingerie constitute?

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colored bras and lingerie sets are the most popular among our customers. SM: The bestselling products are neither daring nor overly fashionable. We do have a couple of Japanese brands that stand out with their individual touches and are very popular among younger customers.
How do you juggle the diversity of the leading brands, the customers’ satisfaction and your store’s profits in the lingerie business?

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JX: The women’s lingerie section on the third floor has thirteen different brands. There are a few more brands on the 4th floor, in the teenage fashion section. The turnover of these thirteen brands accounts for 15% of the entire women’s apparel section in 2009, which was an increase of 25% compared to 2008.
Are you open to selling new brands? What merchandising criteria do you require for a brand to be present in your store?

JX: We’ve certainly been offering enough opportunities to new brands. When Innee joined us, it was their first store in Shanghai. In 2007, Amphi (a Wacoal China line directed to teenage consumers) was merchandised to start its sales in Shanghai. In May 2009, a new Japanese brand, Kid Blue came on board. We keep on updating our lingerie section to include new brands. The brands present in Jiu Guang are selected according to their positioning; Wacoal and Triumph lead the way but La Clover, Innee and Private Shop are other high end brands represented. While Amphi, Kid Blue and Intesucre represent a younger, more trendy clientele, Lofan, Charle, Embryon and Enweis are available for our mainstream customers.
What are the bestsellers in your store in terms of brand, style and category?

SM: Certainly, the profit factor is key. If a brand doesn’t keep up with its sales expectancies, it is usually replaced. We wouldn’t rule it out overnight because time proves whether or not a brand is marketable. A product can turn out to be uninteresting or sometimes the prices are above the reasonable sales margin. We try to communicate as much as possible to find a solution before ruling out anything. Even though it is difficult for imported brands to attain a good turnover, we don’t give up. In other words, if a certain brand was to be replaced, we usually make sure we have another high end positioning brand.
There is also a large swimwear division in your store. Is it permanent or available only during beach seasons? Are the brands Chinese and international as well?

JX: Just by looking at the sales volume, Wacoal and Triumph are the most popular brands we have. However each brand has a bestseller among its collection. Light

JX: It’s a seasonal sale area located right next to the lingerie division. The permanent sales of swimmer in our store belongs to the sportswear section with the regular Speedo and Arena brands.

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THE BEST OF INTIMA – 02/2010

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