Forever 21 expands into Europe

US clothing company Forever 21 is working on a large expansion plan into Europe. Last year, the business opened stores in Birmingham and Dublin. The third shop will open in Vienna this May, and Brussels and Barcelona will follow a month later. In the coming

months, Belgium will see the launch of two stores and also London will welcome Forever 21. For the European stores, Forever 21 is recruiting personnel through open applications.

With its trendy clothing for the young and fashionable at affordable pricing, Forever 21 is competing with H&M, Primark, Zara and Topshop. Consumers can purchase clothing, accessories, shoes, cosmetics and lingerie for men, women and children. A dress is around 20 dollar (12,50 GBP), and pumps are no more then 25 dollar (15,50 GBP). The retail company is available in US, Canada, Asia, Middle East and Europe, and has 470 stores and an online shop. Forever 21 is one of the fastest growing retailers at the moment with an annual revenue of 2,3 milliard dollar (1,4 milliard GBP). The company collaborates with famous fashion bloggers and ‘shopping haulers' aka consumers who post movies of their latest purchases.

The story of Forever 21 started in 1984 when South Korean Do Won Chang opened a store in Los Angeles called Fashion 21. The founder and current CEO invests the company's profit in Forever 21 by opening a new shop every half year. He changed the name in Forever 21, and around 90 shops a year are launched since 2008. In 2010, a mega store of 8.400 m2 opened on Times Square in New York, the same year Forever 21 rents an office in Breda, Holland to be the home to its European headquarter and online sales call centre. The European distribution centre is also based in the Netherlands in Bergen op Zoom, which delivers to the European web shop, online since February, and the European stores.

Besides the success, there’s a downside to the Forever 21 story as well. In 2001, six womenswear production factories in Los Angeles are calling for a boycott asking for better working conditions and wages. Three years later the two parties reach an agreement. Then on several occasions there is the accusations of copying designer pieces by designers such as Diana von Furstenberg, Anna Sui and Gwen Stefani. In August 2010, negative news is circulating around the web due to a movie showing the shop security maltreating a deaf man, because he didn’t stop when the alarm went off.

The US fashion label secured a retail space on Oxford Circus to open the doors of its London flagship store this autumn. The launch follows the successful UK debut in Birmingham last November.