Pepe Jeans plans Asia expansion

Pepe Jeans, the British jeanswear company, is expanding its Asian operation with a plan to open 50 stores over the next five years. The company stated Thailand was a priority, with other stores set to open in Indonesia, the Philippines and South Korea.

Currently the company operates stores in Japan, India, Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand. The new opening will take the store portfolio to 550 stores.

Pepe Jeans

set to open 50 stores in five years in Asia

The company expects its sales contribution from Asia to rise to 15 percent over the next five years, up from a very small proportion at present. "After 15 trips to Thailand over the past three to four years, we saw huge potential in this market and expect to have 10 flagship stores in the kingdom over the next five years," said Pepe's International Director Bart Denolf Bruyneel.

Pepe this week opened its biggest flagship stores in Southeast Asia at Bangkok’s CentralWorld shopping centre. The 160 sq m store sells jeans, jackets, polo shirts and accessories for men and women at prices that are almost as high as those in the UK.

The company appointed Robinson Department Store to be its sole distributor there and plans to open five stores and 19 shop-in-shops at Robinsons next year.

Pepe Jeans was founded in the 1970s, starting as a market stall on the Portobello Road. The company has since flourished over the years, turning into a multi million pound business.

The company is controlled by the group Torreal, aninvestment company owned by Spanish entrepreneur Juan Abelló. Torreal was though to have purchased 43 percent of Pepe Jeans for fifty millon euros.

Kate Moss' first fashion campaign was for Pepe Jeans.

Image: Pepe Jeans