Diva will open six stores in the Philippines before Christmas, with the first store set to officially open its doors in October. The new store openings in the Philippines are part of Diva’s plans to extend its customer base and capitalise on Asia’s robust retail market, with the Philippine Retailers Association forecasting retail sales to grow by nine per cent in the Philippines by the end of this year. Stakeholders BB Retail Capital plan to expand the brand’s stores, of which there are currently 700 across more than 15 countries worldwide, to over 3,000 by 2016, with the strong retail sector in Asia one of the key targets for continuing growth and existing stores in China, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia. Also currently in the works are plans to overhaul all of its flagship stores with complete refurbishments, which Diva’s PR representative Gemma Shuttleworth said are part of the company’s strategy to “revitalise the brand.” In line with its new image, Diva is launching ear piercing services in all of its Australian stores, creating a one-stop shopping experience for its customers and offering a unique point of difference to its accessory retail competitors. The company has also invested time into building its social media presence over recent months to appeal to its youth customer base, which has seen the brand gain significant momentum through Facebook and Twitter. “We’ve clocked up over 80,000 followers since October last year, the time we’ve spent on growing our social media presence has really paid off,” Shuttleworth said. Diva has achieved significant expansion since it launched its first stores in 2001, carving out a unique retail niche to meet the growing need for affordable, on-trend accessories in the youth market. Nadia Stennett
