Page 14 - June 2021

asia

A NEW TECH PLATFROM HAS BEEN UNVEILED

BY JD-BACKED POMELO

JD-backed Thai fashion e-commerce start-up Pomelo
is set launch its fashion technology platform Prism.
The women’s fashion firm, which started as an online
business in 2013, plans to launch its business-to-
business (B2B) unit, Prism, this month to offer services
like demand planning and logistics for other fashion
and lifestyle brands. The plan comes as physical store
sales and traffic have dropped.
Store traffic in Thailand plummeted 71 per cent in the
first quarter this year and about 20 per cent in its
other markets, said CEO David Jou in an interview
with Reuters, adding that e-commerce was strong.
The start-up has raised a total of $83M from
investors including Thailand’s largest retailer Central
Group and competes with companies like Japan’s
Uniqlo. Retailers are accelerating digitisation due to
the pandemic, creating demand for the service.

UAE’S EMIRATI COFFEE AMERICAN EAGLE AND
TARGETS CHINA AERIE OPEN STORE

Emirati Coffee, a locally owned and Dubai-based speciality coffee American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. has secured a prime space in
roastery, has its eyes set on growth with plans to expand its Central for the American Eagle and Aerie brands’ first flagship
operations to Saudi Arabia and China by next year and to introduce street shop in Hong Kong.
mass-production products that would compete with coffee giants The new space, comprising shop No. 1 of the G/F, retail 10 of
already on the shelves. 1/F and retail 3 on 2/F of LHT Tower on No.31 Queen’s Road
Coffee consumption in China is on the rise, especially among the Central amounts to 7,158sq ft. American Eagle has been a part
young generation who see it as more aligned with today’s “pop- of Hong Kong’s fashion market since 2011, and the new flagship
culture,” said Mohamed Ali AlMadfai, CEO of Emirati Coffee. street store will also introduce intimate apparel and lifestyle
Emirati Coffee works directly with coffee farmers and producers brand Aerie.
and their coffee is sourced from 30 origins. Now, AlMadfai said they The new American Eagle store allows us to connect with our
are looking to work with Chinese coffee farmers as well. customer through an elevated in-store shopping experience
Founded in 2017, Emirati Coffee is a vertically integrated company while introducing local shoppers to the incredibly popular Aerie
which roasts its coffee in Al Quoz and supplies it to 160 cafes. brand,” said Andrew Mclean, CCO at American Eagle.

14 RETAIL & LEISURE INTERNATIONAL JUNE 2021