The night my mom arrived home from work, waving her special employee copy of the look book from the Polo Ralph Lauren
Major shifts in the style of a business aren’t decided on a whim. Although it is possible that Mr. Lauren finally decided to unleash his secret, burning fascination with Shanghai in the 1920s, I doubt such was the inspiration behind the line -- especially given the company’s recent efforts at expansion into the Asian market.
Over the past three years, Polo’s focused on establishing footholds in a handful of major Eastern countries including Japan, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and most recently South Korea. Although seemingly aggressive, the movement into Asia is trending positively, evidenced by a sales increase of more than 40% in 2011.
Net Revenue |
2011 |
2010 |
2009 |
---|---|---|---|
U.S. and Canada | $3,807.8 | $3,445.4 | $3,575.0 |
Europe | $1,178.6 | $1,052.6 | $1,028.4 |
Asia | $658.0 | $464.1 | $401.2 |
Other regions | $15.9 | $16.8 | $14.3 |
Source: Polo Ralph Lauren 2011 Annual Report, all figures in millions.
In fact, this Asian invasion has emerged as a trend among profitable high-end retailers. Coach
Tiffany
Foolish bottom line
Despite a year full of hardship due to natural disasters, demand for luxury goods in the world’s largest and most populous continent has increased, and luxury retailers have no complaints.
- Add Polo Ralph Lauren to my Watchlist.
- Add Coach to my Watchlist.
- Add Tiffany & Co. to My Watchlist.