Covering an area of nearly 400 square meters, the first store of Cotton:On Vietnam will be located in Vincom Thao Dien in HCMC’s District 2.
It plans to open two more stores before December, including one at Aeon Mall Ha Dong in Hanoi, it said in a statement.
Cotton:On was founded in 1991 with the first store being launched in Geelong, Australia. The Cotton On Group owns seven brands, including Cotton:On, Cotton:On Body, Cotton:On Kids, Rubi, Typo, Supre and Factorie with over 1,400 stores in 19 countries. Aiming to expand its global presence, Cotton:On chose Vietnam as its next destination. Before Vietnam, it had entered India in January.
James Lavdas, a representative of Cotton:On Australia, said that Cotton:On is an international fashion brand with the simple Aussie style. With the growing demand for street style and casual outfits in Vietnam, Cotton:On expects its products to satisfy local consumers.
"We know there is a growing demand for street/casual wear fashion in Vietnam, so we’re confident our distinctive product offering will resonate with customers who want access to the most effortless, on-trend products," James Lavdas, Cotton On’s general manager of license, said.
The Australian brand was brought to Vietnam by Au Chau Fashion and Cosmetics Co., Ltd (ACFC).
Further, ACFC will launch the second Cotton:On store on November 26 in Hanoi-based Aeon Mall Ha Dong.
Founded in late 2010, ACFC, a subsidiary of Imex Pan Pacific Group, whose chairman is Johnathan Hanh Nguyen, specializes in bringing international brands to Vietnam, including premium fashion, travel and sports brands, such as Nike, Gap, Banana Republic, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Levi’s and Old Navy. It is the first Australian apparel retailer in the Vietnamese market.
Earlier this month Japanese casual wear retailer Uniqlo announced it would open its first store in the country in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 1 on December 6, adding to the list of around 200 foreign fashion brands that have entered Vietnam, including Zara, H&M, Giordano, Topshop, Gap, and Old Navy.
Industry insiders say that Vietnam, with its young demographic, growing incomes and 96 million population, is a hugely promising market.
The industry was estimated to be worth $5 billion in 2018 and is expected to reach $7 billion by 2023.
