The 46-square-metre store in CentralWorld is owned and managed by Central Department Store Ltd, which has had a relationship with the brand reaching back almost 25 years.

Camilla Deichmann, director of Deichmann Co Ltd, came to Bangkok to preside over the branch's opening yesterday but the event had to be postponed due to the coup.

She said her company would also open its first, company-owned store in Hong Kong in November to get direct experience in dealing with Asian consumers and in running retail outlets in Asia. The company will freely experiment with new store furnishings, product displays and sales techniques at its own store.

Deichmann's father Henning founded Evita Peroni in Denmark in 1988. The brand expanded into Europe and Asia in 1989 through the appointment of exclusive franchisees to look after the brand and business in individual markets.

Evita Peroni has nearly 100 retail outlets in more than 30 in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, the US, South America and South Africa.

In Asia, the brand is sold in Japan, Korea, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam. Evita Peroni also has 40 shops and brand corners in many cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Dalian, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Chengdu and Nanjing.

"Similar to women around the globe, Asian women like fashion accessories and give much more importance to fashion. Like music and film, fashion today is worldwide," Deichmann said. "We are also looking for some business partner in India, which will start the business from a small scale."

Deichmann, who worked at the regional office in Hong Kong for almost three years, said the company really understands the Asian market. She also spends two months a year in Asia.

"Compared to India, China will be more powerful, quicker in the advancement of the Evita Peroni business. The retail sector in China is more developed with many shopping complexes having been opened in major cities. However, India will be an interesting market in the future," she said.

The growth of the Asian market will depend on how quickly China grows. However, Asia will not overtake Europe as the largest market for Evita Peroni for at least three years.

Evita Peroni sources products from more than 10 countries to find the right raw materials. For example, Europe dominates in exclusive raw materials such as leather, stones, crystals, yarn and acetate sheets, while Korea does best in nice chiffon, and Japan in elastics.

Product development will stay at the company's headquarters in Copenhagen.

Kwanchai Rungfapaisarn

The Nation