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Mango’s International Move
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FEATURE Mango’s International Move By Katerina Petinos
Mango, the privately owned, $1.4 billion Barcelona-based women’s fashion chain, will make its way to the states with domination in mind. Already a major chain and strong brand concept in Europe, Mango feels confident that it will do well in the U.S. In North America. The chain trades as MNG by Mango. The stores in the U.S. are called MNG by Mango due to trademark regulations and the MNG label appears on the clothes worldwide. By the end of the year, the company expects to be operating 15 stores in major metropolitan areas throughout the U.S.
Mango operates a 5,737 sq.ft. store at the South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, CA and a location at the Bellevue Square in Seattle, WA. Other locations include openings at Third Street Promenade in Los Angeles, CA; Northpark Center in Dallas, TX; Water Tower Place in Chicago, IL and Westfield San Francisco Centre in San Francisco, CA. The U.S. stores will occupy spaces of 4,000 sq.ft. to 8,000 sq.ft., though the chain utilizes spaces as large as 20,000 sq.ft. in other countries, including its flagship store on Oxford Street in London, England. The U.S. stores will be a mix of franchised and corporate-owned units and predominantly located within malls, however the company is also planning select street front stores.
The company also signed a lease at 561 Broadway in New York, NY for 8,000 sq.ft., which will be its flagship store in the U.S. and will open in the fall of 2007. Mango also has been looking at other Manhattan venues, specifically Fifth Avenue.
Last year, the company opened a 20,000 sq.ft. distribution center in Edison, NJ, which can be enlarged as its U.S. store count grows.
The concept carries trends in fashion and the merchandise will be adapted for each market. The stores sell clothing, accessories, shoes, lingerie, perfume, outerwear and swimwear for women. Each location is individually decorated with plants and vintage furniture from antique shops. The company has a history of adapting to the original architecture of its locations.
Previous reports indicate that Mango officials plan to open about 250 units in a decade, assuming the real estate that meets the company’s high standards becomes available.
Founded in 1984, Mango operates almost 1,000 stores worldwide and has been opening 100 stores annually for the past few years. Spain, which is home to 240 Mango stores, is the company’s largest market. Last year, the company opened shops in Canada and plans to open 25 more in the next five to six years. In addition, the company expanded into Monaco, Uzbekistan, Syria and Mauritius, while future expansion is focused on Japan, Europe, China and the U.S.
Overall, the company has 6,000 employees. At the home office in Barcelona, there are 1,200 employees, including about 100 on the design team, creating more than 4,000 garments each year. The company has pattern makers, as well as two pop culture experts who study trends worldwide in the art and film worlds to help inspire new styles. Mango caters to women ages 18 to 35 and its price points range from $20 to $250. The company draws similar demographics to Banana Republic, Gap and Abercrombie & Fitch.
For more information, contact Jose Gomez, MNG by Mango, (01134) 93-860-2222 Ext. 13386; Email: intlfranchise@mango.com; Web sites: www.mngbymango.com and www.mngshop.com. |