Latest news with #JamieSalter
Fashion Network
11 hours ago
- Business
- Fashion Network
Authentic reinforces global strategy with APAC headquarters in Shanghai
Fashion Network: Over the past few years, the performance of many brands in China's market has not been that competitive. Why has Authentic still chosen to set up its APAC center in Shanghai instead of other cities? Jamie Salter: We believe in the long-term potential of the Chinese and broader Asia-Pacific market, and Shanghai is at the heart of that vision. Shanghai is a dynamic city and is the right home for our APAC headquarters, with China presenting great growth opportunities. The opening of our Shanghai office reflects our confidence in the region and commitment to building strong, localized partnerships that unlock the full potential of our brands. This city also provides a complete ecosystem that supports the acceleration and localization of our portfolio brands. It is our long-term commitment to this market. FN: What key brands will Authentic focus on developing in the Greater China/APAC area? Matt Maddox: Our strategic partnerships are driving significant success across our brand portfolio. Nautica is thriving through our collaboration with Tristate, whose deep expertise in China's apparel market and understanding of the brand have proven invaluable. For Hunter, our partnership with Baozun leverages their robust digital, logistics, and supply chain capabilities, perfectly suiting a brand focused on quality, performance and storytelling. Brooks Brothers is gaining renewed momentum thanks to ImagineX, a leading partner in building premium local brands. Finally, Champion 's explosive growth is a direct result of our collaboration with Belle Fashion, which has expertly positioned the brand in key retail channels and effectively connected with the right consumers. FN: What are the criteria for choosing these local partners? Matt Maddox: With nearly 1,800 global partners, our primary focus consistently centers on the product. We prioritize collaborations that effectively represent the brands and yield products genuinely valued by regional customers. This emphasis on product and quality naturally leads to considerations of operational synergy and collaborative methodologies. We are committed to fostering long-term, sustainable relationships built over many years. Our aspiration is for our global brands to also achieve local relevance, both here and in other markets, thereby significantly broadening our partnership footprint worldwide. FN: How do you manage brands with different cultural backgrounds across regional markets? Jamie Salter: Our core business model remains consistent globally; however, cultural adaptation is paramount. While product is key, we recognize the importance of localization: approximately 50% of our product line is global, with the remaining 50% tailored to local preferences. The world is shrinking due to social media and influencers, leading to increasingly similar styles worldwide. The time lag for trends to travel, once six months from Europe to America, has significantly shortened in the digital age. Therefore, our strategy is firmly 'Think Global, Act Local,' a practice we will continue to refine. We're observing a significant shift with products from Japan, Korea, and China, like the highly sought-after Champion Japan collection, now influencing the American market. Our asset-light business model facilitates this global collaboration, ensuring all partners can access diverse products. FN: How do you manage different teams that have varying cultural dynamics? Matt Maddox: From a cultural standpoint, we deeply value listening to our local teams and understanding that operational approaches and team dynamics vary significantly by region. This philosophy extends to our regional companies, each operating almost autonomously rather than receiving top-down directives from Europe, North America, or China, ensuring they effectively cater to their respective local cultures. FN: Aside from brand management, Authentic also operates a sports and entertainment business. Are there plans to expand this business locally? Jamie Salter: Our playbook remains centered on building out sports and entertainment, encompassing live events, experiences and media, much of which is already in motion. With Sports Illustrated, for example, we have live events in Singapore, and we are continuously expanding our footprint to replicate our execution model from Europe and America. With figures like David Beckham present and Sports Illustrated established, alongside live events in Singapore, we are continuously expanding our footprint to replicate our execution model from Europe and America. This expansion will involve both existing brands and the integration of new local celebrities and athletes, with a critical focus on their global appeal. Our 'Think Global, Act Local' strategy dictates that while we adapt to local markets, any engagement—particularly brand acquisitions—must have international travel potential. We believe that what resonates in one market, such as China, can indeed find success back in America. As a global company, we may engage in collaborations for purely local ventures, but our acquisitions prioritize brands with global reach.
Fashion Network
12 hours ago
- Business
- Fashion Network
Authentic reinforces global strategy with APAC headquarters in Shanghai
Fashion Network: Over the past few years, the performance of many brands in China's market has not been that competitive. Why has Authentic still chosen to set up its APAC center in Shanghai instead of other cities? Jamie Salter: We believe in the long-term potential of the Chinese and broader Asia-Pacific market, and Shanghai is at the heart of that vision. Shanghai is a dynamic city and is the right home for our APAC headquarters, with China presenting great growth opportunities. The opening of our Shanghai office reflects our confidence in the region and commitment to building strong, localized partnerships that unlock the full potential of our brands. This city also provides a complete ecosystem that supports the acceleration and localization of our portfolio brands. It is our long-term commitment to this market. FN: What key brands will Authentic focus on developing in the Greater China/APAC area? Matt Maddox: Our strategic partnerships are driving significant success across our brand portfolio. Nautica is thriving through our collaboration with Tristate, whose deep expertise in China's apparel market and understanding of the brand have proven invaluable. For Hunter, our partnership with Baozun leverages their robust digital, logistics, and supply chain capabilities, perfectly suiting a brand focused on quality, performance and storytelling. Brooks Brothers is gaining renewed momentum thanks to ImagineX, a leading partner in building premium local brands. Finally, Champion 's explosive growth is a direct result of our collaboration with Belle Fashion, which has expertly positioned the brand in key retail channels and effectively connected with the right consumers. FN: What are the criteria for choosing these local partners? Matt Maddox: With nearly 1,800 global partners, our primary focus consistently centers on the product. We prioritize collaborations that effectively represent the brands and yield products genuinely valued by regional customers. This emphasis on product and quality naturally leads to considerations of operational synergy and collaborative methodologies. We are committed to fostering long-term, sustainable relationships built over many years. Our aspiration is for our global brands to also achieve local relevance, both here and in other markets, thereby significantly broadening our partnership footprint worldwide. FN: How do you manage brands with different cultural backgrounds across regional markets? Jamie Salter: Our core business model remains consistent globally; however, cultural adaptation is paramount. While product is key, we recognize the importance of localization: approximately 50% of our product line is global, with the remaining 50% tailored to local preferences. The world is shrinking due to social media and influencers, leading to increasingly similar styles worldwide. The time lag for trends to travel, once six months from Europe to America, has significantly shortened in the digital age. Therefore, our strategy is firmly 'Think Global, Act Local,' a practice we will continue to refine. We're observing a significant shift with products from Japan, Korea, and China, like the highly sought-after Champion Japan collection, now influencing the American market. Our asset-light business model facilitates this global collaboration, ensuring all partners can access diverse products. FN: How do you manage different teams that have varying cultural dynamics? Matt Maddox: From a cultural standpoint, we deeply value listening to our local teams and understanding that operational approaches and team dynamics vary significantly by region. This philosophy extends to our regional companies, each operating almost autonomously rather than receiving top-down directives from Europe, North America, or China, ensuring they effectively cater to their respective local cultures. FN: Aside from brand management, Authentic also operates a sports and entertainment business. Are there plans to expand this business locally? Jamie Salter: Our playbook remains centered on building out sports and entertainment, encompassing live events, experiences and media, much of which is already in motion. With Sports Illustrated, for example, we have live events in Singapore, and we are continuously expanding our footprint to replicate our execution model from Europe and America. With figures like David Beckham present and Sports Illustrated established, alongside live events in Singapore, we are continuously expanding our footprint to replicate our execution model from Europe and America. This expansion will involve both existing brands and the integration of new local celebrities and athletes, with a critical focus on their global appeal. Our 'Think Global, Act Local' strategy dictates that while we adapt to local markets, any engagement—particularly brand acquisitions—must have international travel potential. We believe that what resonates in one market, such as China, can indeed find success back in America. As a global company, we may engage in collaborations for purely local ventures, but our acquisitions prioritize brands with global reach.
Fashion Network
12 hours ago
- Business
- Fashion Network
Authentic reinforces global strategy with APAC headquarters in Shanghai
Fashion Network: Over the past few years, the performance of many brands in China's market has not been that competitive. Why has Authentic still chosen to set up its APAC centre in Shanghai instead of other cities? Jamie Salter: We believe in the long-term potential of the Chinese and broader Asia-Pacific market, and Shanghai is at the heart of that vision. Shanghai is a dynamic city and is the right home for our APAC headquarters, with China presenting great growth opportunities. The opening of our Shanghai office reflects our confidence in the region and commitment to building strong, localised partnerships that unlock the full potential of our brands. This city also provides a complete ecosystem that supports the acceleration and localisation of our portfolio brands. It is our long-term commitment to this market. FN: What key brands will Authentic focus on developing in the Greater China/APAC area? Matt Maddox: Our strategic partnerships are driving significant success across our brand portfolio. Nautica is thriving through our collaboration with Tristate, whose deep expertise in China's apparel market and understanding of the brand have proven invaluable. For Hunter, our partnership with Baozun leverages their robust digital, logistics, and supply chain capabilities, perfectly suiting a brand focused on quality, performance and storytelling. Brooks Brothers is gaining renewed momentum thanks to ImagineX, a leading partner in building premium local brands. Finally, Champion 's explosive growth is a direct result of our collaboration with Belle Fashion, which has expertly positioned the brand in key retail channels and effectively connected with the right consumers. FN: What are the criteria for choosing these local partners? Matt Maddox: With nearly 1,800 global partners, our primary focus consistently centres on the product. We prioritise collaborations that effectively represent the brands and yield products genuinely valued by regional customers. This emphasis on product and quality naturally leads to considerations of operational synergy and collaborative methodologies. We are committed to fostering long-term, sustainable relationships built over many years. Our aspiration is for our global brands to also achieve local relevance, both here and in other markets, thereby significantly broadening our partnership footprint worldwide. FN: How do you manage brands with different cultural backgrounds across regional markets? Jamie Salter: Our core business model remains consistent globally; however, cultural adaptation is paramount. While product is key, we recognise the importance of localisation: approximately 50% of our product line is global, with the remaining 50% tailored to local preferences. The world is shrinking due to social media and influencers, leading to increasingly similar styles worldwide. The time lag for trends to travel, once six months from Europe to America, has significantly shortened in the digital age. Therefore, our strategy is firmly 'Think Global, Act Local,' a practice we will continue to refine. We're observing a significant shift with products from Japan, Korea, and China, like the highly sought-after Champion Japan collection, now influencing the American market. Our asset-light business model facilitates this global collaboration, ensuring all partners can access diverse products. FN: How do you manage different teams that have varying cultural dynamics? Matt Maddox: From a cultural standpoint, we deeply value listening to our local teams and understanding that operational approaches and team dynamics vary significantly by region. This philosophy extends to our regional companies, each operating almost autonomously rather than receiving top-down directives from Europe, North America, or China, ensuring they effectively cater to their respective local cultures. FN: Aside from brand management, Authentic also operates a sports and entertainment business. Are there plans to expand this business locally? Jamie Salter: Our playbook remains centred on building out sports and entertainment, encompassing live events, experiences and media, much of which is already in motion. With Sports Illustrated, for example, we have live events in Singapore, and we are continuously expanding our footprint to replicate our execution model from Europe and America. With figures like David Beckham present and Sports Illustrated established, alongside live events in Singapore, we are continuously expanding our footprint to replicate our execution model from Europe and America. This expansion will involve both existing brands and the integration of new local celebrities and athletes, with a critical focus on their global appeal. Our 'Think Global, Act Local' strategy dictates that while we adapt to local markets, any engagement—particularly brand acquisitions—must have international travel potential. We believe that what resonates in one market, such as China, can indeed find success back in America. As a global company, we may engage in collaborations for purely local ventures, but our acquisitions prioritize brands with global reach.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
David Beckham, Jamie Salter Inaugurate Authentic Brands Group APAC Headquarters in Shanghai
LONDON — David Beckham last week traveled to Shanghai for the opening of Authentic Brands Group's new Asia-Pacific headquarters in Shanghai. Authentic Brands Group in 2022 entered into a multimillion-dollar strategic partnership with the British soccer legend to co-own and manage Beckham's global brand. More from WWD Champion Signs License for Official NFL Apparel Reebok Taps Slam Jam as Partner in Europe, North and Central America Rockport's Headed to the UK and Ireland ABG said the establishment of an Asia-Pacific headquarters marks a milestone in the company's global expansion strategy, having opened Europe, the Middle East, and Africa headquarters last year in Marble Arch, London. The Shanghai office will support Authentic's growing brand portfolio and network of partners across the Greater China region and the Asia-Pacific market. 'Shanghai is a dynamic city and is the right home for our APAC headquarters, with China presenting great opportunities for growth,' said Jamie Salter, founder, chairman and chief executive officer of ABG, which last year teamed with Saks Global to grow its luxury propositions. 'The opening of our Shanghai office reflects our confidence in the region and commitment to building strong, localized partnerships that unlock the full potential of our brands,' added Salter, who attended the opening alongside Beckham and ABG president Matt Maddox, Asia-Pacific president Wesley Chu, and executive vice president and head of Greater China Josh Perlman. Located in the same building that hosts Chanel's China head office in downtown Shanghai, the ABG Asia-Pacific headquarters span around 21,500 square feet and feature five showrooms, one style studio and an executive lounge. As the regional command center, it hosts a team across lifestyle, entertainment, brand, business development, PR and marketing. Maddox said the Shanghai office further solidifies the company's 'Think Global, Act Local' strategy, which centers around leveraging global scale with local expertise. 'This approach not only allows our growing employee network to have dedicated places to connect with one another but also provides hubs to bring in partners and offer the full Authentic experience in a singular space. With the opening of our Asia-Pacific headquarters, Authentic reinforces its strategy of building regional centers of excellence in the world's most influential markets,' he added. A global brand owner, developer and entertainment company, Authentic Brands Group has about 75 names in its stable of well-known labels that range from Juicy Couture, Reebok, Champion, Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley to Barneys New York, Judith Leiber, Hervé Léger, Vince and Brooks Brothers. It generates around $32 billion in annual retail sales through a global presence in 150 countries, and its brands have more than 29,000 freestanding stores and shops-in-shop, as well as 400,000 points of sale. Best of WWD Catering to the Luxury Customer, Michael Kors Has Created a Juggernaut Brand Since 1981: A Company History and Timeline How Tommy Hilfiger Has Kept the Momentum Going for Nearly 40 Years: A History and Timeline Calvin Klein: A History and Timeline Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Forbes
22-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Saks Global And Authentic Seek To Take Control Of Luxury Market
Saks Global and Authentic Brands Group are looking to diversify their partnership into retail, hospitality and events as they seek to exert more control over the luxury market. Over six months on from the creation of the joint venture, Authentic Brands Group CEO Jamie Salter and Saks Global Executive Chairman Richard Baker chose London to outline their plans as they spoke on stage at last week's World Retail Congress. The duo said that they believed the partnership could drive higher margins, wrest control of luxury away from vendors and towards retail and leverage the brand strength of department store group Saks – which includes Saks Fifth Avenue and Saks Off 5th, Neiman Marcus, and Bergdorf Goodman – to form global partnerships. 'We wanted to get into the luxury space but it's all about distribution,' said Salter. 'When we look at brands, what is really important with us is that they can make the right margin. If you look at the business model today, margin is everything. Getting together with Saks was critical for us. If you are not making low to high 60s [per cent] Authentic Luxury Group is a 50/50 joint venture between Authentic Brands and Saks Global and several luxury brands, plus Barneys New York. Salter stressed that for the retailer it meant it gained revenue via sales of merchandise plus 50% of the rent received as he likened the deal to another partnership Authentic had entered into with U.S. mall landlord giants Simon Properties and Brookfield for retail tenants in terms of a royalties and rents model. 'The model truly works. But we're not just in retail, we're also in hospitality business, we'll see Saks branded residences going out, which also means people will buy home products from Saks for those. We already have projects on the go, and have people in the Middle East and Asia Pacific looking at doing a Saks store, a condo and a hotel,' he said. Baker said that the combined businesses under the Saks umbrella accounted for 60% of premium sales in the U.S. and said that the acquisitions to create the new department store group came after long negotiations with 'an industry that was getting weaker and weaker and finally capitulated'. Saks has launched a so-called 'walled garden' on Amazon in North America and is also building out sites for Japan, China, the U.K. and Middle East. 'When we sit here in five years luxury is going to be natural on Amazon,' he insisted. 'We needed to bring the department stores together for efficiency, with $600 million of synergies achieved. We also had to right size our vendor matrix, because we had 2,660 vendors and we had to reset vendor relationships.' Baker said that without making big decisions 'there would be no [department store] industry left in the U.S.' and said that Saks expects to edit 500-600 brands out of its supply relationships, with a shift towards 'controlled brands', which offer the retailer a larger margin, aiming at circa 20% of total sales from these product ranges. Salter added that combining the two company's customer bases would also help propel the joint venture business. 'Data is critical, that tells us what brands are working and what brands are not working, which gives us such an edge in the competition. Let's us dig into the data,' he said. 'We believe we will be able to take this all over the world and find partners. In luxury the power has been at the vendor level and we need to shift it towards the retail level.' Generating more than $32 billion in global annual retail sales, Authentic's brands are present in 150 countries, including over 13,000 stores and shop-in-shops and 400,000 points of sale. Its brand portfolio includes Shaquille O'Neal, David Beckham, Sports Illustrated, Thalia, Reebok, Champion, Brooks Brothers, Barneys New York, Judith Leiber Couture, Ted Baker, Hunter, Vince, Hervé Léger, Frye, Nautica, Juicy Couture, Aéropostale, Forever 21, Nine West, Eddie Bauer, Quiksilver, Billabong and Van Heusen. Saks Global is owned by Hudson's Bay Company, while Amazon also invested an undisclosed amount in the new entity when it was formed in December last, alongside Salesforce and software investing firm Insight Partner, plus Authentic Brands Group, which all agreed to be minority partners.
