• Homelegance opens first retail store in China

    In hopes of penetrating the Chinese middle class market, case goods and upholstery resource Homelegance is undertaking an aggressive retail store launch in China.

    The company opened its first store in Tianjin on May 17 and plans to have another five by the end of August, and an additional five in October. It plans to open another 20-30 locations per year after that, said Jamie Collins, executive vice president of Homelegance USA.

    The stores are being operated by independent owners, or licensees, looking to help grow the company brand largely among middle-class consumers in China.

    The 30,000-square-foot Tianjin store, located in a furniture mall called Red Star Macalline and operated by Li ShiGuang, is a prototype for future stores to be opened by licensees across China.

    Homelegance invited potential licensees to the store opening and a number of them signed up, said Collins, who also attended the event. He noted the company will get the word out to other would-be licensees and store operators as they continue to open new locations.

    Collins said that, given the growth opportunities in the market, the time is right for the China retail stores, which will be served by a 260,000-square-foot warehouse in Tianjin.

    “We know that to grow we must look beyond our traditional U.S. borders to become the worldwide leader we know we can be,” he said. “There is no better place for us to focus our efforts than in China. Beyond building a brand in China we know that our new licensees in China will enjoy what our retail partners in North America have already experienced, profitable gains through the sale of Homelegance products.”

    He said the company’s extensive sourcing network in China, Vietnam and Malaysia has already led to success in the U.S. market and will help fuel growth in the China market as well.

    “Over the past 31 years we have developed industry leading global sourcing abilities that have led to our success in the U.S. market,” he said. “We are now pleased to leverage these same skills as we develop Homelegance branded stores across China to provide the Chinese consumer with the cost advantages our years of experience can provide. China’s demand for American designs is growing every year. We will present Homelegance as a premier lifestyle brand that represents the best of what the Chinese consumer is looking for.”