New Look opens first stores in China

British fashion chain New Look enjoyed the opening of its first two flagship stores in China last week, the first of a series of store openings set to occur throughout the year. The flagship stores, which are located in first-tier cities shopping malls Glory Mall in Beijing and Cloud 9 in

Shangai, opened their doors on February 28 at precisely 15.08 pm, which are viewed as the luckiest of numbers in China. Eight other stores are set to be opened in March and April this year.

To celebrate the brands first step into the Asian market, New Look employed various digital campaigns to engage with their Chinese consumers on social network sites such as Weibo and WeChat. New Look also decided to brand its Chinese stores as New Look London, with its new and sleek logo, to showcase its British heritage and influence to its Asian customers.

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Looks opens first stores in Beijing and Shanghai

The new flagship stores offers its overseas customers the chance to try on new outfits in New Look changing rooms fitted with Magic Mirrors. In each changing room, there is a interactive mirror that allows customers to create a custom look and photograph their favorite outfits. Similar to the fitting rooms in H&M New York Times Square, the digital mirrors also let customers share their looks on social media websites, which will help more Asian consumers become associated with the brand during its first foray into the country.

Chief executive officer Anders Kristiansen, previously stated that the company aims to open 20 New Look stores in the country by March 2015, with plans in the pipeline to open "hundreds" more over the next few years. Kristiansen first joined New Look in January 2013, from Danish fashion company Bestseller, where he controlled the group's fashion stores in China.

To help establish itself in its new Asian Market, New Look has also launched a language specific, tailor made online store, www.newlook.cn. Kristiansen commented that so far the brand is being well received in the country, and being compared to the likes of Zara quality wise and H&M price wise.

Kristiansen indicated that international growth is one of the main factors of the company's expansion plans, with stores openings planned in China, Germany, Poland and Russia on the top of the company' s retail growth strategy.

The first New Look store opened its doors in Taunton in 1969. Since then it has grown to become an international fashion brand with other 600 stores in the UK and 200 stores spread through Europe, the Middle East and South Asia.

Photos: New Look new flagship stores and website