Arcadia Signs First Digital Partnership in China with ShangPin for TOPSHOP and Miss Selfridge

BEIJING and LONDON, Aug. 13, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- ShangPin.com, China's first online multi-brand retailer of designer and contemporary fashion, has signed an agreement with Arcadia Group Ltd to be their first online partner in China. Both the TOPSHOP and Miss Selfridge brands will launch on the ShangPin.com site from September 2014.

David Zhao, CEO of ShangPin commented, "In the last 2 years, we have been building China's most "fashionable" online customer database and being online means we have our finger on the pulse of what the consumer needs. China's new fashion consumers are in their 20s-30s and are moving away from big logos to being fashion forward and wanting to express their individuality through mixing and matching styles and brands. ''

''The Arcadia Group Ltd's portfolio of fashion brands is perfectly suited to ShangPin's customer base and we are thrilled to be bringing both TOPSHOP and Miss Selfridge into China with their respective brand DNAs. They are already successful international retailers who have made their mark on the British high street as well as with partners around the globe and I am confident they will do well in China. We plan to deliver the most current fashion trends into 400 cities across China to dress a new generation of fashion lovers."

Sir Philip Green remarked, "We decided to partner with ShangPin in China because they demonstrated to us their capacity to operate brands and understand marketing and brand building.  As we continue to grow our global expansion, this will be a step forward using the power of China's online reach and therefore selling into one of the world's most exciting consumer markets."

ShangPin's New Styling and Social Marketing Platform

China's generation born in the 80s and 90s can spend up to 30% of their day online or on mobile and the influence of social media in China is unmatched anywhere in the world.

In September, ShangPin will be unveiling a new Styling & Social Marketing Platform on its website as a value added service offered to brands.

M. Claire Chung, Vice President of International Business Development comments, "We plan to style up to 1000 looks per month using all brands. These "looks" can then be shared across all Chinese social media including Weibo, WeChat, and QQ. With TOPSHOP and Miss Selfridge, we will be able to show the customer how to mix and match the styles alongside designer brands.  We launched our mobile app last year and have already seen 40% of sales transacted on mobile. ShangPin's investment in the Styling Platform shows our commitment to our brand partners not only to drive sales but to utilize ShangPin as a branding platform where customers can connect and share! This is the digital savvy new generation all brands must target for their next 20 years of growth along with the rise of the "fashion aware" middle class in China. It is an exciting moment for fashion in China."

About ShangPin
SHANGPIN - is the first full-price fashion retailer in China to offer current season designer and contemporary fashion brands to Chinese consumers throughout mainland China.  Since its founding in 2010, ShangPin has become the trusted online retailer for more than 5 million Chinese customers, offering an exceptional shopping experience and access to many brands from Lanvin to TOPSHOP. ShangPin prides itself on being an extraordinary brand partner, providing the branding, marketing services and local knowledge that foreign brands need to succeed in the Chinese market.  ShangPin's principal investors include Chengwei Capital, Disney's Steamboat Ventures, Morningside Ventures and Hillhouse Capital.  For more information, please visit us at www.shangpin.com.

About Arcadia Group Ltd
ARCADIA is the UK's largest privately held fashion retail group. It is a fast-moving business comprising nine of the high street's best known and most exciting fashion brands, including TOPSHOP and Miss Selfridge. Each of the Arcadia brands operates online with an ever-growing roster of concessions and international franchise outlets spanning Europe, the Far East and Middle East.

November 2014 sees the launch of a 40 000 sq ft TOPSHOP TOPMAN flagship on 5^th Avenue in New York City, second only in size to the Oxford Circus home of the brands in central London.

Further information please contact Lillian Lee
[email protected] or +86 186 4680 7779

For US media enquiries: Monique Krasniqi, KWITTKEN, mkrasniqi@kwittken, +1 646 747 0097

For UK media enquiries: Lydia Eden, KWITTKEN, leden@kwittken, +44 (0) 207 401 8001

SOURCE ShangPin