The first standalone Rituals Hong Kong store is slated for opening in July as the Dutch cosmetics retailer ramps up its presence in Asia.
The company has promoted business development manager of travel retail, Marjet de Vlieger, as head of travel retail Apac. She will take up the newly created role on July 1 and relocate to the city in January. A Rituals Hong Kong office and warehouse are set to open next month.
Until now, Rituals has only been sold in the region through concessions, including one at the T Galleria by DFS stores on Kowloon’s Canton Road. But that is about to change. Along with the Hong Kong store, the first in Asia, Rituals plans 10 new points of sale in the region, including a debut in South Korea.
“Opening the Hong Kong office and warehouse facility is a major investment and steps forward as we look to convert the Asia opportunity,” said Rituals director of travel retail Neil Ebbutt.
“For Rituals, travel retail is leading the way in building the brand’s presence in Asia, which not only shows the power of the channel but also allows airports and retailers to better differentiate themselves by being the gateway into the Rituals world.
“Our vision is to build a truly global lifestyle brand and we’re ready to capitalize on this travel retail-first approach,” he said.
Rituals has a five-year plan to build sales across Asia encompassing travel retail, standalone stores, and e-commerce. It will seek partnerships with airlines and hotels through a network of distributors.
