European fashion retailer C&A has announced plans to enter the $1 trillion Chinese retail market with four stores in Shanghai in 2007.
“We want to be one of the leading fashion retailers in China,” said Sandra Dembeck, who is in charge of business development for C&A in the country. She also informed, “We will enter Beijing before the (2008) Olympics. After Beijing we will go into the second-tier cities.”
Offering low-price fashion to 15-30-year-olds, the move will place C&A directly in competition with Zara and H&M in China. The latter have already announced or opened three outlets each in Shanghai.
In addition to the China foray, C&A has plans to operate more than 1,400 shops in 20 countries, mainly in Europe and Latin America, at the end of 2007.
