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Wuxi, Jiangsu, China

Moving Forward

Together

Established in 1996 in the province of Wenzhou, the Semir Group
is a multi-brand garment company focused on casual wear and
childrenswear that operates two major labels, Semir and balabala.
In this interview, RLI spends some time with Nicole Zhou,
Head of International at Semir Group to discuss the expansion
of both brands during the past few years and what lies ahead

moving forward.
emir is a lifestyle brand for adults and is committed to developing about the upcoming openings in Qatar. Meanwhile, Semir opened the
innovative and affordable products. They create and present doors of its first store in the capital of Nepal, Kathmandu at Civil Mall in
Scomfortable fashion for the fast-paced, diverse lives of the new early February. This store has already received rave reviews from Nepalese
era of youth, focusing on the latest fashion trends combined with cutting customers and they are looking forward to the opening of the next four
edge performance fabrics for easy wear. stores with their local partner and they are due to launch at the end of
On the other hand, balabala focuses on the dreams, the exploration and May this year.
playfulness of children and with the brand with the largest market share of With such a presence in China, moving forward more attention will be
children’s apparel in China, balabala provides on trend fashion, shoes and given to the quality of store openings, increasing their presence in first-tier
accessories for children aged from 0-14, delivering high-quality products in cities with flagship stores and upgrading their omni-channel presence.
an exciting shopping environment. “To compete in the international market, seeking global partnerships is
“As we move through 2022, the company will continue to focus on essential; therefore it is important to meticulously choose the appropriate
the principle of “consumer-centricity” and continue to promote the partner. At the moment, we are in the process of reaching commercial
construction of core competencies such as brand operation, product agreements with retail partners from more regions in Asia, but our global
innovation, retail experience and supply chain management,” explains expansion strategy includes all regions of the world,” explains Zhou.
Nicole Zhou, Head of International at Semir Group. “The pandemic has set With 26 years of experience in the design, manufacture, distribution
new patterns of consumer behaviour – a preference for online shopping, and retailing of garments and having a strong infrastructure, Semir Group
rational spending in times of crisis and consumption of digital content. combines this with the latest fashion trends and unique models designed
Our strategic decision was to quickly adapt to new market conditions and by their own in-house product department to maintain its position in the
increase online presence.” upper echelon of the Chinese fashion market.
Today the Semir business has more than 2,600 stores whilst balabala has Zhou explains that they offer customers an amazing experience when
more than 4,800 stores in mainland China and by the end of 2021 they had buying and wearing clothes. They also do slight localisation when entering
56 stores in 13 overseas countries and regions. different markets. For instance, every year they tailor-make a collection for
Recent store openings include a balabala site in Dubai Hills Mall, Dubai their Middle Eastern partners for Ramadan and Eid and develop supporting
by Emaar on 17 February which was launched in collaboration with their marketing materials in order to meet the needs of special festivals
newly signed strategy partner BTC Fashion in the Middle East. This opening and cultures.
is a milestone moment for balabala and they are now extremely confident Utilising the power of social media has always been a focus and a strength