by Martina Fuchs
MILAN, Italy, Dec. 2 (Xinhua) -- Swiss luxury brand Bally aims to further expand its footprint in China through the combination of physical retail and e-commerce, the company's CEO told Xinhua in a recent interview in the Italian fashion capital.
"2022 has been a good year in which we have definitely seen progress. The main one is with the brand, with the hiring and the first collection of Rhuigi Villasenor, our new creative director," said Nicolas Girotto, the label's chief executive officer.
He said that the rebound of the Swiss fashion house coming out of the pandemic was primarily due to Bally's digital transformation and business in China.
"We have also seen strong growth in the digital business in markets all over the world, from the United States to Japan, recovering strongly and coming back to 2019 levels and even above," added Girotto.
Founded in 1851 by Carl Franz Bally as a family-run ribbon factory in Schonenwerd, Switzerland, Bally is famous for its shoemaking and leather craftsmanship.
"Bally has been one of the first brands entering China," Girotto said, adding that the first distribution happened in 1986 through a government-run duty-free point of sale, while the first freestanding store opened in Shanghai in 1993.
"More than 40 percent of our sales come from China. This is an important market for us that we will continue to develop on different fronts. Obviously, physical retail and brick and mortar is still at the heart of our strategy. We have more than 60 stores in China," Girotto said.
"We have an important retail footprint in different cities across China, from Urumqi to Shanghai. We cover almost all of China and are looking carefully at the evolution of retail," he added.
In July, Bally opened a new store in Shanghai's Taikoo Li Mall, focusing on men's ready-to-wear, large leather goods and shoes, and limited edition collections.
The company had also stepped up investments in the digital space, said Girotto, noting that China's digitization, e-commerce and mobile payments, and tech-savvy Chinese consumer are an inspiration.
"We have been one of the first brands believing in certain platforms and new ways of consumption that China and the Chinese market have taught us," he added.
Girotto said the company must be an early adopter of digitization to maintain its competitive edge developed over the years, said the CEO.
Regarding whether Bally plans new store openings in 2023, Girotto said: "We will. We are looking at opportunities for new store openings. The Chinese market is very dynamic, so we need to stay alert." ■