Periwinkle childrens clothing targets ASEAN

Periwinkle childrens clothing has opened its first store in Indonesia through a licensing agreement with an Indonesian partner.

The Philippines retailer, which already has a presence in Singapore and Canada, received support from the Department of Trade and Industry, as part of a program to help retailers from the Philippines expand into other ASEAN markets with the advent of the Asian Economic Community (AEC) this year.

“We intend to assist local companies with established brands, expand in the international market by partnering with foreign companies, particularly in the Asean countries, and promote the Philippines as a reliable and competitive source of global fashion retail brands,” said Trade Undersecretary Ponciano C. Manalo Jr.

Periwinkle’s first store is a concession at the newly opened Central Department Store at the Grand Indonesia East Mall in Jakarta.

It will open a second concession at British department store Debenhams at the Senayan City Mall and is currently evaluating franchising in Indonesia.

Periwinkle’s partner in Indonesia is the Boga Group, which is active in the food and beverage and retail sectors, operating some 1000 hundred restaurants and retail outlets in Jakarta, Bandung, Surabaya, Yogyakarta, Medan, Makassar and Bali.

“Periwinkle’s presence in Indonesia is an excellent opportunity for the retail brand to aim for wider regional expansion in light of the AEC 2015,” said Alma Argayoso, Philippine Trade and Investment Center Jakarta commercial counsellor.

“We are optimistic that Periwinkle’s high-quality design will be patronised by Indonesian society, particularly sophisticated mothers, who love dressing up their children,” he said.

The DTI is providing support to retailers through business counselling, business matching and brand promotion.

Periwinkle executive Allan Hao Chin said the Boga Group partnership is purely a licensing agreement and the company will consider a full scale franchise and other options including a joint venture, depending on the success of the initial stores.

“It is a milestone for Periwinkle to be present in Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s largest economy, and being able to share our brand globally,” Chin said.