Shades of difference
Just as global fashion suppliers have to take note of the varying body sizes, style and brand preferences of its international customers, so too do sunglasses manufacturers have to take into account the differences in face shape and preferences of their customers. Increasing numbers of brands are now developing specific ranges targeted at Asian nationalities.
US-based supplier Maui Jim sunglasses is due to fully unveil its Asian/Universal fittings collection at TFWA Asia Pacific in Singapore, after its preview last month at the IAADFS show of Americas. The company, which is famed for its use of PolarizedPlus anti-glare lens technology, decided to develop the range after Maui Jim’s CEO, Walter Hester, was approached by the supplier’s expert retailer in the Asia Pacific region, DFS. Hester was asked to increase the range of styles to suit Asian faces and, in particular, the big shields which give all-round protection.
“Within six weeks we went back to DFS with some prototypes for their comments,” says Giles Mark, director duty free sales for Maui Jim. “We also worked closely with eye-care professionals to refine the technical side of the lens and fitting ability.”
From a market point of view, it was the right time for Maui Jim to develop this specific range, as the Asian region continues to increase in importance for the company in duty free and elsewhere. “All consumers want the right ‘look’, whatever their race or colour,” Mark continues. “But we found that some people appreciated our quality, loved the look but were compromising on the fit, which is extremely important if the sunglasses are to serve their purpose.”
While fitting considerations are important (see boxout for the main differences between Asian and European fittings), Mark also recognises the importance of offering the fullest range of styles to Asian consumers to cater for individual tastes, and all of the Maui Jim styles are available in all markets and regions. “After all,” comments Mark, “Asian people are many and varied, have different physical characteristics and tastes. And, like everyone else, love to travel – employment migration has led to big Asian communities being established in many parts of the world.”
In Asia Maui Jim’s top travel retail markets are Singapore and Hong Kong, with Hawaii constituting the biggest overall market in the Asia Pacific, with a high proportion of Japanese holidaymakers passing through.
The supplier also has locations in Bangkok, Korea, Guam and Manila. “And we had excellent talks with Chinese and several other operators in Singapore last year,” adds Mark. “Not bad for a company that has only been in travel retail 18 months. And we hope to firm up all these contacts and make many more at the TFWA Asia Pacific.”
To consolidate this commitment to the Asia-Pacific region, Maui Jim has also just appointed a dedicated sales manager for duty free Asia, Ben Arriola. “Ben is Singaporean so has local knowledge and he will be based in Singapore. He comes to us from another sunglasses manufacturer and has been in the duty free business for over 15 years, so he has masses of relevant experience – we are delighted to welcome him to the team,” comments Mark.
Asian Experts
Italian luxury eyewear specialist the Safilo Group continues to have a formidable presence in Asia with Safilo Far East, which is based in Hong Kong – along with the global headquarters for travel retail – and coordinates sales activities in Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, Australia, Malaysia, China, Korea and India.
Commercial director for the Safilo Group Ross Brownlee also stresses that Asian consumers are far from homogenous in their sunglasses preferences. “Asia’s biggest individual duty free market is Korea, and the Korean consumer tastes, both stylistically and in terms of fitting needs, are quite far removed from the reality in Japan or Hong Kong,” he points out.
Safilo has a dedicated products development department to meet the varying needs of the Asian region, but Brownlee emphasises that it’s important to produce a recognisable international offer. “At brand level we strive to capture the spirit of the international collections while adapting both in style and fit for the demands of the Asian consumer. This investment has proved very rewarding as our business and market shares have accelerated as a result.”
The Asian market currently accounts for 30-40% of Safilo’s sales value, which means, Brownlee adds, that it is “clearly of strategic and practical importance”.
In addition to its house brands, such as Safilo, Oxydo and Carrera, Safilo also possesses the licenses for a myriad of luxury global brands including Dior, Yves Sant Laurent, Gucci, Stella McCartney and Diesel.
While sales of brands such as Dior, Gucci and Armani are relatively unhindered by national preferences, other brands tend to be more successful in certain regions. “Diesel for example is strong in Europe and America but is only now increasing its importance within the Far East,” Brownlee explains. Similarly, Marc Jacobs has increased its presence in Asia and North America but has a much more limited distribution in Europe. “Given the nuances of relative strength,” explains Brownlee, “we tailor our offers according to the significance of the travelling PAX to a given retailer.”
As the world continues to become more culturally desegregated, and airports continue to host an array of nationalities, travel retailers the world over will undoubtedly benefit from an offer which recognises not just the nuances of stylistic preference, but also the precise structural requirements of their customers.
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