Charles & Keith

Charles & Keith
Private
Industry Fashion
Founded 1996
Founders Charles & Keith Wong
Headquarters Singapore
Area served
 Worldwide
Key people
 Charles Wong (Founder)
Keith Wong (Founder & Chief Executive)
Fong Shee Beng (Executive Director)
Website www.charleskeith.com

Charles & Keith (styled CHARLES & KEITH) is a Singaporean fast-fashion footwear and accessories retailer founded in 1996 by Charles Wong and Keith Wong. Based in Singapore, the brand has a global footprint across Asia, the Middle East, Europe, Latin America and Africa.[1]

History

Founding

In 1990, Charles and his younger brother Keith worked at their parents shoe store in Ang Mo Kio to learn the ropes of managing a shoe business[2], before opening their first store in 1996 at Amara Shopping Centre.[1] Charles & Keith adopted a new business model for their label because they observed that the traditional model of selling shoes purchased from wholesale suppliers were unsustainable.[2] To emerge from intense competition, the company started designing their own shoes in 1997 based on customers' feedback.[3] This strategic move allowed the company to gain greater brand recognition from their target clientele. As the business grew the company cut out the middleman and began working directly with production factories.

Charles & Keith launched Pedro in 2005, which is a line of men's footwear. Their product range was increased in 2007 to include accessories such as belts and sunglasses and higher end products.[2]

Overseas Expansion

A Charles & Keith store in the mall SM Aura Premier in Bonifacio Global City, Metro Manila, Philippines.

In 1998, Charles & Keith began to expand their operations overseas when they ventured into Indonesia and by 2015, they had 40 stores.[4][5] In 2001, Charles & Keith opened an international venture in the Philippines, where by 2015, they had more than 30 stores.[6] In 2004, the company ventured out of Asia and debuted in the Middle East with a store in Dubai,[7] and another in Saudi Arabia in 2005.[8] In 2011, the brand had over 230 stores across the world mostly based in the Middle East and Asia.[9]

In 2011, LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy) invested in a 20 percent stake.[10][11] At the time LVMH stated that they intended to expand Charles & Keith's presence with 40 or 50 new stores across India.[9] By 2013 Charles & Keith had grown to over 300 stores worldwide, including locations in Africa, and in Japan, where they opened a flagship store in Harajuku, Tokyo and also other shops in Yokohama and Osaka.[10][12][13] All the stores are company-owned unless local legislation forbids this, in which case the stores are run through a joint-venture arrangement.[8] In 2015, the brand expanded further into Cambodia,[14] Panama and the Dominican Republic.

In 2017, Charles & Keith launched a Winter 2017 collection, featuring a diverse range comprising minimalist, functional, sports-inspired and revamped vintage styles, in Qatar. [15]

Online store

In 2004, Charles & Keith became the first company in Singapore to set up an e-commerce website in an effort to expand its business, allowing the company to offer its products where it did not have a brick and mortar store[16] In 2016, Charles & Keith had announced its closure of all of its stores in Japan and redirect efforts to developing its e-commerce site. [17]

References

  1. 1 2 Boon, Rachael (23 July 2013). "Full control ensures shoe retailer never misses a step". The Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings Inc. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 "The world at their feet". The Straits Time. October 22, 2008.
  3. ↑ Tan, Jessica (2009-05-01). "The World at Their Feet". Forbes. Retrieved 2017-06-28.
  4. ↑ "In Conversation: Charles & Keith CEO Charles Wong". Luxury Insider. July 30, 2014. Retrieved October 19, 2015.
  5. ↑ "2013 Business China Young Achiever Award Recipient" (PDF). Business China. Retrieved October 19, 2015.
  6. ↑ Philippine Star, The (8 April 2015). "Rock 'n' roll and reinvented classics for Charles & Keith".
  7. ↑ "Charles and Keith opens in Abu Dhabi Mall". AmeInfo.com. 20 November 2012. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
  8. 1 2 Tan, Jessica (1 March 2009). "The World at Their Feet". Forbes. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
  9. 1 2 "LVMH invest 25 million dollars in developing Charles & Keith in India". CPP-Luxury.com. CPP Luxury. 18 August 2011. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
  10. 1 2 Yupangco, Arian (28 August 2013). "Why the Louis Vuitton group invested in Charles & Keith". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
  11. ↑ Chan, Robin (20 March 2011). "Charles & Keith Goes Global With LVMH Tie-Up". Straits Times Indonesia. The Jakarta Globe. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
  12. ↑ Kumagai, Nao (4 March 2013). "Singapore Fashion Accessories Brand "Charles & Keith" Opens First Store in Japan in Harajuku this April". Fashion Headline Japan. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
  13. ↑ Nagata, Kazuaki (30 May 2013). "'Fast fashion' of South Korea, Singapore arrives". The Japan Times. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
  14. ↑ "Grand Opening Charles & Keith in Cambodia". ភ្នំពេញ ប៉ុស្ដិ៍ (in Khmer). 25 May 2015. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  15. ↑ "Charles & Keith's stunning winter collection launched - The Peninsula Qatar". thepeninsulaqatar.com. Retrieved 2017-11-22.
  16. ↑ "In conversation: Charles & Keith CEO Charles Wong". Men’s Folio. July 26, 2014. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
  17. ↑ Floyd, FashionNetwork.com,Erin. "Charles & Keith to close all Japanese stores in favour of online expansion". FashionNetwork.com. Retrieved 2017-11-22.
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