Marchpole expands in Korea

The UK menswear manufacturer, Marchpole Plc, has revealed expansion plans for its Castelbajac brand in Korea. The plans include opening in-store shops in duty free and department stores. London-based Marchpole signed a distribution deal for its Jean-Charles de Castelbajac brand with the Korean clothing retailer Daikyung Global Co. at the beginning of October this year. The deal will last until 2012.

A Castelbajac boutique will open in the duty free shop of the Lotte World Hotel in Seoul later this month. In January of next year two more boutiques will open in duty free shops on Jeju Island. During the same period, another boutique will open in a Hyundai department store in Woolsan and yet another will open in a Hyundai department store in Seoul in March.

According to the contract with Daikyung, which was signed on 3 October, distribution of the brand will also take place at five of Daikyung's stand-alone stores. Furthermore, the Korean retailer is planning to open one new department store per year.

Marchpole also owns the worldwide rights - excluding the US - Emanuel Ungaro and has the licenses for Yves Saint Laurent, Tomas Starzewski, Jasper Conran and Ozwald Boateng in the UK. Last year the company generated sales of GBP15.7 million in the first half ending 2 October 2004, up from GBP 8 million. Operating profits leapt form GBP 900,000 to GBP 2.6 million.