Retail in Asia

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Bluebell opens two stores in one day to kick-off OWNDAYS’ expansion plan in HK

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Bluebell officially announces the joint venture with the Japanese Eyewear retail concept OWNDAYS, expanding its activities in the lifestyle segment to attract millennials.

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Bluebell and Owndays are joining forces to execute an aggressive roll-out plan with privilege access to various shopping malls thanks to Bluebell’s years of experience and strong network.

OWNDAYS is an international optical retail concept founded in Tokyo, Japan. It currently has more than 120 stores in Japan and has successfully established stores in 10 overseas countries in Asia-Pacific.

This year, OWNDAYS will be expanding its network to its 11th overseas market – Hong Kong, starting with 2 shops on 31st July located at East Point City, the first large-scale multi-function shopping mall in Tseung Kwan O, and Tuen Mun Town Plaza, which has been acknowledged as the largest shopping mall in the Northwest New Territories in HK.

Following similar geo-marketing strategies, Zoff and Jins, two Japanese fast fashion eyewear retail concepts, have also been expanding into HK this year, increasing the number of Japanese companies targeting overseas markets.

In consistency with the brand image, the retail concept is by an open shop front and extensive use of wooden panels aimed to create a sense of harmony. Display racks with mirrors are designed to accommodate the different collections of glasses and give customers the freedom to try them on in a relaxed shopping environment.

OWNDAYS is characterized by a solid knowledge and professional skills. All staff is trained to process quality glasses within 20 minutes from optometry to delivery to ensure the best service. OWNDAYS lenses are manufactured by leading international lens makers and high index aspheric lenses come with UV protection and dust-resistant coating.

OWNDAYS has a wide portfolio of products which include: Progressive Lenses, Polarised Lenses, Transitions Lenses, Colour Lenses, and PC Lenses. All glasses displayed in shop are original brands designed and manufactured by OWNDAYS. OWNDAYS’ brands range from stylish and fashionable to functional and are able to satisfy different customer profiles.

Among the brands available in HK are:

Graph Belle
Graph Belle is a brand for sophisticated ladies. With charming and feminine frames, the portfolio includes a rich selection from modern-designed frames to classic designed frames. They are simple but full of playful spirit, catered to ladies willing to make eyewear a distinctive trait of their outfit.

John Dillinger
In the early 1930s, John Dillinger was highly supported by the citizens as a benevolent thief in the Midwestern United States. The brand, borrowing his name, revisits his period and history and it blends it to the present by creating a neo-classic collection. From the standard to the unique designs, each frame has its own name with motifs from 1960’s famous people.

JUNNI
This brand is for modern kids with fashionable sense. Characterized by a playful mix of colours and cool designs, the original KIDS frames are named “Junni”. This collection has also enchanted adults as those ones with small faces could enjoy the design.

In the occasion of the launch of OWNDAYS in HK, the current President & CEO Shuji Tanaka will meet press and fans. Shuji Tanaka took over OWNDAYS in 2008 and has transformed it into a retail chain operation that sells over 2 million pairs of glasses annually.

awowndays
Source : The Straits Times

He redefined OWNDAYS’s philosophy, adding a closer personal touch to the design and tailoring it to customers’ needs. He follows operations from product design, production, sales to after-sales making sure that OWNDAYS stays up-to-date with changes in the market and sets trends for upcoming generations.

OWNDAYS is keen on working with different platforms from different industries, including participation in one of the largest fashion shows in Japan – ‘Tokyo Girls Collection’ in 2010, and as one of the official sponsors of the world’s first large scale fashion tournament for top stylists – ‘World Runway Premiere’ in 2011. OWNDAYS also sponsored the 4th Okinawa International Movie Festival in 2012.

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Shuji Tanaka is also aware of the importance of contributing to society and in 2015 has launched OWNDAYS Eye Camp Project, a project to start vision correction support activities in Tamil Nadu, India, through the distribution of glasses.

The OWNDAYS Eye camp is conducted every 3 months in partnership with Voice Trust, a non-governmental organization based in South India, where volunteer doctors conduct eye checks for people in rural parts of India for eye health evaluations. OWNDAYS hopes to help and make a difference to their quality of lives through the project.

 

*Bluebell is the owner of Retail in Asia