SPAIN. Spanish fashion brand Mango has opened its first boutique in a US airport as it continues its expansion in the travel retail sector. The 95sq m San Francisco boutique is its 19th in the US market.
A 108sq m store has also begun trading at Zürich Airport, its first in the Swiss gateway, bringing the number of Mango stores in Switzerland to 12.
Both of the new shops are located in prime retail areas and have been decorated according to the brand’s latest design trends.
Mango began its expansion in Switzerland in 1999 with the opening of its first store, in Berne. US expansion began later, in May 2006, with the opening of a boutique in California’s South Coast Plaza Mall.
The two new airport stores guarantee Mango a presence in two markets which have extraordinary potential, said the firm. Mango Head of Expansion Isak Halfon said: “The reason for opening our new stores at the airports of Zürich and San Francisco lies in the excellent commercial relations we have maintained with both countries since entering their markets.”
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The new menswear collection from Mango is called HE by Mango and was launched for the Spring 08 season | |
Mango continues to grow in the travel retail market, following openings in the airports of Madrid, Düsseldorf, London Gatwick, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Munich and Vancouver.
The company’s strategy is to open stores in international airports with the most air traffic. During 2007, Mango opened a total of 152 stores, a figure it is planning to exceed during 2008.
Double showing in Singapore
Mango made its presence felt with a super-stylish booth at the TFWA Asia Pacific show in Singapore last week, just a month after the brand presented its Spring/Summer 08 collection at the Singapore Fashion Festival on 5 April in Ngee Ann City.
The festival – in what is fast becoming Asia’s fashion capital – welcomed several other prestigious designers, including Calvin Klein and Matthew Williamson.
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Mango captures the latest trends for fringing and footwear in its new accessories collection | |
First menswear collection
In other news, Mango launched its first menswear collection since 1996 for the Spring 08 season, called HE by Mango. It was introduced in selected Mango stores in Europe and the US from March 2008.
The company said: “With this new project, Mango is moving towards the concept of a multi-brand store, in which it is possible to encounter collections by different authors and of different styles belonging to the same company.”
Continuing its association with young designers, London-based designer Osman Yousefzada has created an exclusive limited-edition capsule collection for Mango, available in 115 selected stores in 32 countries. The collection of ten little black dresses made its debut exclusively in London’ Selfridges department store via a two-week pop-up store in March 2008.
In celebrity-related news, Alexandra Richards, the daughter of famous Rolling Stone Keith Richards, is to star in the new quemepongobymango.com campaign. The second campaign of the brand’s interactive mini-site went live in March.
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