Charles & Keith

Charles & Keith Pte. Ltd.
Company typePrivate
IndustryFashion
Founded1996; 28 years ago (1996)
FoundersCharles & Keith Wong
Headquarters6 Tai Seng Link, Singapore 534101
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Charles Wong (Founder)
Keith Wong (Founder & Chief Executive)
Fong Shee Beng (Executive Director)
Websitecharleskeith.com

Charles & Keith Pte. Ltd., styled as CHARLES & KEITH and also known as C&K, is a Singaporean fashion house label founded in 1996, specializing in footwear, handbags and fashion accessories.[1] Based in Singapore, the brand has a global footprint, operating more than 600 stores worldwide across 37 countries.[2][3]

History

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Founding

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The company started out in 1990, when Charles Wong and his younger brother Keith Wong worked at their parent's shoe store in the Ang Mo Kio district of Singapore. They had wanted to learn the ropes of managing a shoe business[4] before subsequently opening their first store in 1996 at Amara Shopping Centre (now known as the 100 AM).[2]

Charles & Keith adopted a new business model for their label because they observed that the traditional model of selling shoes purchased from wholesale suppliers was unsustainable.[4] To emerge from intense competition, the company started designing their own shoes in 1997 based on customers' feedback.[5] This allowed the company to gain greater brand recognition from their target clientele. As the business grew, the company cut out the middleman and began working directly with production factories as a unique brand.

Expansion

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A Charles & Keith store at the Starfield COEX Mall in Seoul, South Korea

In 1998, Charles & Keith began to expand their operations overseas beyond Singapore when they ventured into Indonesia and Australia.[6][7]

In 2001, Charles & Keith opened their first store in the Philippines and by 2015, they had more than 30 stores around the country.[8] In 2004, the company ventured out of Asia and debuted in the Middle East with a store in Dubai,[9] and another in Saudi Arabia in 2005.[5] In 2011, the brand had over 230 stores across the world mostly based in the Middle East and Asia.[10]

Charles & Keith launched Pedro in 2005, which is a line of men's footwear. Their product range was increased in 2007 to include accessories such as belts and sunglasses and higher end products.[4]

In 2011, LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy) invested in a 20 percent stake in the company.[11][12] The Wong brothers have since brought their shares back from LVMH.[13]

As of 2015, Charles & Keith has over 300 stores worldwide.[11][14][15][16]

In January 2022, Charles & Keith opened its third concept boutique at Kaohsiung's E Sky Mall. Spanning approximately 302 sqm, the Kaohsiung location is the brand's largest store in Taiwan.[17]

Online store

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In 2004, Charles & Keith became one of the first few companies in the world to set up an e-commerce website in an effort to expand its business, allowing the company to offer its products where it did not have a brick and mortar store.[18]

In 2021, Charles & Keith announced that such digitalisation processes were accelerated amid the COVID-19 pandemic. It added that the company now provides distance training for its 7,000 staff members worldwide, as well as hosting online sales presentations to wholesale buyers wherever they are in the world in contrast to hosting physical wholesale events up to four times a year at its headquarters in Tai Seng.[19]

Awards

The company has secured numerous awards, including the Singapore Retailers Association’s Excellent Service Award in 2002[20] and the Enterprise Award at the 2008 Singapore Business Awards.[21]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Tee, Karen (3 January 2017). "A Zara for shoes and bags, Singapore's Charles & Keith has reached Hong Kong at last". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
  2. ^ a b Boon, Rachael (23 July 2013). "Full control ensures shoe retailer never misses a step". The Straits Times. Singapore Press Holdings Inc. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
  3. ^ "Store Locator". charleskeith.com. Charles & Keith. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  4. ^ a b c "The world at their feet". The Straits Times. 22 October 2008.
  5. ^ a b Tan, Jessica (1 May 2009). "The World at Their Feet". Forbes. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  6. ^ "In Conversation: Charles & Keith CEO Charles Wong". Luxury Insider. 30 July 2014. Archived from the original on 13 April 2020. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
  7. ^ "2013 Business China Young Achiever Award Recipient" (PDF). Business China. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
  8. ^ "Charles & Keith - A Successful Asian Global Fast Fashion Retail Brand". Martin Roll. 9 December 2018. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
  9. ^ "Charles and Keith opens in Abu Dhabi Mall". AmeInfo.com. 20 November 2012. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
  10. ^ "LVMH invest 25 million dollars in developing Charles & Keith in India". CPP-Luxury.com. CPP Luxury. 18 August 2011. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
  11. ^ a b Yupangco, Arian (28 August 2013). "Why the Louis Vuitton group invested in Charles & Keith". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
  12. ^ Chan, Robin (20 March 2011). "Charles & Keith Goes Global With LVMH Tie-Up". Straits Times Indonesia. The Jakarta Globe. Archived from the original on 20 October 2014. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
  13. ^ "Wong brothers". Forbes.
  14. ^ Kumagai, Nao (4 March 2013). "Singapore Fashion Accessories Brand "Charles & Keith" Opens First Store in Japan in Harajuku this April". Fashion Headline Japan. Archived from the original on 17 October 2014. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
  15. ^ Nagata, Kazuaki (30 May 2013). "'Fast fashion' of South Korea, Singapore arrives". The Japan Times. Retrieved 20 October 2014.
  16. ^ "Grand Opening Charles & Keith in Cambodia". ភ្នំពេញ ប៉ុស្ដិ៍ (in Khmer). 25 May 2015. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  17. ^ Caldwell, Georgina (12 January 2022). "Charles & Keith opens concept store at Kaohsiung E Sky Mall". Global Cosmetics News. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  18. ^ "In conversation: Charles & Keith CEO Charles Wong". Men’s Folio. 26 July 2014. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
  19. ^ Tan, Adeline (24 August 2021). "Important for retail sector to digitalise to emerge stronger from pandemic: Gan Kim Yong". straitstimes.com. The Straits Times. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
  20. ^ "NewspaperSG". eresources.nlb.gov.sg. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  21. ^ "Charles & Keith". www.nlb.gov.sg. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
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