Retail in Asia

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Cotton On’s Typo follows Smiggle, Kikki.K to UK

In a form of reverse retail colonisation, Australian stationery chain Typo is set to join rivals Smiggle and Kikki.K by entering the UK, one of the world’s most competitive retail markets.

Typo, which is part of the Geelong-based Cotton On Group, has unveiled plans to launch a dedicated online store in the UK next March and a distribution centre in Kent ahead of opening its first bricks-and-mortar shops later in the year. Typo’s creative manager, Luke Slattery, said the move was prompted by strong traffic on Typo’s global websites from UK-based consumers.

Typo, known for its quirky and colourful stationery, gifts, homeware and travel accessories, opened its first store in 2009, expanded to the US in 2012 and now has more than 140 stores in 11 countries, including South Africa, New Zealand, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates.