MELBOURNE: Cotton On Group has unveiled ambitious expansion plans designed to see it operate 2016 stores globally in as many years.
Marketing manager Emily Checinski confirmed recent media reports Cotton On Group would take over the leases of 25 Shoobiz stores - following Shoobiz' closure due to recessionary woes - were part of a broader plan dubbed "2016" which would see the label significantly boost its public profile.
Cotton On Group - which owns the Cotton On, Cotton On Body, Cotton On Kids, Rubi footwear and Factorie labels - would use the 25 ex-Shoobiz sites to open 19 Rubi stores, five Cotton On Body stores and one Cotton On store, she said.
Launched a year ago to target the 15 to 25-year-old female market, it was hoped Rubi would operate 200 stores in Australasia by 2016. Meanwhile Cotton On would operate 700 stores in Australia by 2016 and 90 in New Zealand, with all stores to ultimately feature a new fit out, she said.
"The new look stores are much more image driven. The logo has been revised and the stores are designed to characterise Cotton On as a high fashion destination. The product range is shifting towards a fashion offer while still retaining its basics heritage."
The Geelong-founded group, which currently operates one all-brand megastore in Hong Kong - as well as 18 in Australasia - also planned an aggressive expansion into Hong Kong in the next three to five years.
"Hong Kong is definitely a strong growth area for us and we're also planning to move into Malaysia and China this year. We're also looking at opening in the US [in 2010]," she said, adding the UK and Europe would not be far behind.
Checinski confirmed the group also planned to launch a sixth brand in late 2009. The new label had a strong fashion component but was not in the clothing category, she said.
Aggressive recent growth had defied the down turn and allowed Cotton On Group to make equally aggressive future plans, she said.
"Cotton On was started in the early '90s in the midst of a bad recession, and thrived. For us it's all about smart business built around fashion ranges that take inspiration from overseas brands like Top Shop and H&M. Price is also paramount," she said.
Hired six months ago, Checinski said prior to her arrival the company had no marketing department.
"We work on a very tight budget so my job is about getting the brand out there within limited constraints. We don't traditionally do magazine advertising or television commercials but we have just signed with [Melbourne advertising agency] Mustard Media to help us raise our profile on social networking sites such as Myspace and Facebook."
While the business would "rather have stores on every street corner", an online Cotton On store was also a possibility over the next 12 months, Checinski said.