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BLUE GRASS Co., Ltd from Japan, today (July 8) announced the grand opening of its first overseas shop ¡§BEAUX-ARTS+¡¨ in Hong Kong, located in Kornhill Plaza, Quarry Bay. BLUE GRASS specialises in lifestyle and clothing retail and is part of AEON Group which operates over 500 shops across Japan.
This investment marks the beginning of the company's overseas expansion plans. BLUE GRASS expects to open more outlets in Hong Kong and in major cities in China within this year. The company also plans to source new merchandise across the region from its strategic hub in Hong Kong.
¡§Our company has had a strong interest in the Hong Kong market for some time. Hong Kong is a huge consumer market and many of the international brands are present. Although the competition is intense between brands, we see there is an opportunity with our new shop to introduce local people to our lifestyle ideas¡¨ said Mr Tamotsu Kimura, President of BLUE GRASS.
The company chose Hong Kong as its first overseas market because the city has a similar culture to Japan, which is easy to understand and a strong market that is forecast to continue to grow. In addition, Hong Kong has the geographical advantage of being located at the centre of Asia and gateway to Mainland China. The city operates a free port making it an ideal location for sourcing.
Associate Director-General of Investment Promotion at Invest Hong Kong, Mr Simon Galpin, welcomed BLUE GRASS' expansion here. He said, ¡§Hong Kong is one of the shopping capitals of the world and also Asia's most popular city destination. Last year a record 28 million tourists on business or pleasure came to Hong Kong supplementing the local population of 7 million, to create an ideal sales opportunity for BEAUX-ARTS+ and other retailers. Moreover, with over 13 million of these visitors coming from Mainland China, Hong Kong is the perfect platform for retailers with an eye on the Mainland market.¡¨
BLUE GRASS Co., Ltd is a Japan-based retailer of apparel products and accessories. BEAUX-ARTS+ is one of its brands, which was started in 1986 in Tokyo and currently has been expanded around 100 shops. For more information, please visit www.bluegrass.co.jp.
InvestHK is the award-winning department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government responsible for attracting and facilitating inward investment into the city, by providing free services and support to help overseas and Mainland companies establish or expand a business presence in Hong Kong. For more information, please visit www.InvestHK.gov.hk.
Ends/Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Issued at HKT 16:15
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