NEWS
Columbia Sportswear to acquire
remaining interest in China JV from
Swire Resources
COLUMBIA Sportswear Company
has announced its intent to acquire the
remaining 40% interest in Columbia
Sportswear Commercial (Shanghai)
Company, the joint venture that it
currently operates in China with Swire
Resources, a subsidiary of Swire Pacific.
The acquisition is subject to various
conditions, including regulatory
approval in China, and is expected to be
completed on or around January 1 next
year.
Tim Boyle, Columbia’s president and
chief executive officer, said: “We thank
Swire Resources for contributing to the
success and growth of the Columbia
brand in China. They have been an
exceptional partner for us over the years
and we look forward to continuing
our strong relationship in Hong Kong
and Macau going forward. We are
very pleased with the performance of
our joint venture since 2014. We have
positioned the Columbia brand for
long-term sustained growth in the crucial
Chinese market. The acquisition is
consistent with our strategy to accelerate
investment as a brand-led, consumer-first
business in the areas of highest growth
potential for our existing brands”.
Future plans for the brand include continued investments in building the Columbia brand in
China.
Richard Sell, director, Trading and
Industrial Division of Swire Pacific,
said: “The strategic partnership between
Columbia Sportswear and Swire
Resources in greater China has been
a proven success over many years. As
China business embarks on its next
phase of growth, we wish Columbia
every success. We look forward to
continuing to develop our Hong Kong
and Macau business together and
building our partnership over the years
ahead.”
Columbia Sportswear currently
owns 60% of the operation, while Swire
owns the rest, with profits and losses
shared in similar proportions. Future
plans include continued investments in
building the Columbia brand in China,
as well as expansion of direct and dealer-
operated retail locations. Jason Zhu will
remain as general manager of Columbia
Sportswear Commercial (Shanghai)
Company.
Swire Resources will remain to serve
as the exclusive independent distributor
of Columbia Sportswear in Hong Kong
and Macau. ra
Amazon Shopping App offers customers outside
the US an ‘international shopping’ experience
ONLINE retail giant Amazon has launched
the ‘International Shopping’ experience
within the Amazon Shopping App, making
it possible for customers across the globe
to browse and shop over 45 million eligible
items that can be shipped to their country
from the US.
This experience is available on mobile
browser and mobile app within the Amazon
Shopping App for iOS and Android mobile
devices. The International Shopping
experience offers shopping in five languages,
including English, Spanish, Simplified
Chinese, German and Brazilian Portuguese,
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Retail Asia May 2018
with the ability to shop in 25 currencies.
The native language function includes
local language support in search, product
details, customer service and more.
Customers can choose from different
shipping options and delivery speeds,
depending on how quickly they want their
package to arrive.
Samir Kumar, VP of Amazon Exports
and Expansion, said the company is always
innovating on behalf of its customers
this new experience will make it more
convenient for customers who live outside
the US to shop. “Customers have been
asking for a way to easily find and shop only
for products available to be shipped to them.
The International Shopping experience
solves this customer need and makes it
simple to browse, shop and ship more than
45 million products to over 100 countries
around the world,” he said.
The International Shopping experience
displays clear pricing, shipping costs,
and import duty estimates, with Amazon
coordinating with courier services for
customs clearance on behalf of the customer
so there are no surprises at the time of
purchase or delivery, the company said. ra