The Cotton On Group has announced plans to grow its New Zealand business by 50 per cent over the next three years through an increased store footprint and an improved ecommerce platform.
A key part of the expansion strategy will include the group opening a new head office in Auckland in early 2016, designed to meet the specific needs of New Zealand team members. The projected growth will also see over 900 new roles added across retail, design, marketing, digital, ecommerce and logistics.
Cotton On Group chief financial officer, Michael Hardwick, says the group’s ongoing investment in New Zealand is testament to the strong results the country continues to deliver.
“New Zealand was the first international market we entered outside Australia back in 2006 and since then it has been the impetus for our global growth as we’ve expanded into 17 countries worldwide,” he says.
“Today, New Zealand is one of our top three performing countries globally and, as a result, continues to be one of the markets we look to when gauging customer reaction, whether it’s new products and collections or a new store design.”
The group will focus on strengthening its online presence in the country through its recently re-launched ecommerce platform. Offering access to the latest products and localised customer support, the site allows customers to shop by trend and across the group’s brands—Cotton On Women, Men, Home, Kids, Body, Free by Cotton On, Rubi Shoes and Typo.
“We believe the digital and social area of our business will deliver significant growth in both New Zealand and globally, so we need to ensure we are well positioned to best meet the evolving needs of our customers and their increasingly digital lifestyles,” says Hardwick.
As part of its global growth strategy, the Cotton On Group is set to add another 570 stores to its international portfolio in the next three years, taking its store count to over 1,900 worldwide. Five stores are set to open in New Zealand before Christmas this year.
By Ruth Cooper
