Ted Baker in Beijing?
January 16th, 2008
Ted Baker is setting up its first shop in China, according to the FT, though the article does not say where. I suspect it will be in Shanghai and not Beijing. Ted Baker style is decidedly British, a bit lower end than Paul Smith, but quirky in a similar way. The Ted Baker man probably works in advertising, graphic design, journalism or possibly a trendier financial institution, perhaps venture capital. Are there enough Chinese men in these occupations with the funds needed to buy Ted Baker? The reason I ask this question is that I can’t imagine a guy in a more conventional multinational wearing Ted Baker or Paul Smith, not to mention a state-run company. Ted Baker men are creative and stylish, but have enough money to buy nice clothes. Then again, maybe I’m wrong. Maybe there are more Ted Baker men in Shanghai than in Beijing. I still haven’t figured out why the Paul Smith boutique in Beijing closed.
Interestingly, I haven’t seen many Ted Baker fakes yet - nothing like the amount of Paul Smith stuff. Ted Baker does produce a lot in China though, so, as the brand gains in recognition, we can expect to see more fakes as well as “factory seconds”.
Entry Filed under: China Fashion News and Analysis
5 Comments Add your own
1. John Guise | January 17th, 2008 at 12:59 am
Interesting.
I found a pair of Ted Baker glasses at Lenscrafters in Shanghai that I am really pleased with. They were only about RMB1,200 too. Hopefully their clothes will be in the same price range. If many Chinese don’t buy hopefully expats and half-pats will.
J.
2. b. cheng | January 17th, 2008 at 5:16 am
As far as I know, the Paul Smith boutique in Plaza 66 (Shanghai) closed down sometime in the fall, perhaps they decided to get out of China entirely.
I’m a little surprised by Ted Baker’s entry into China now. A few years back I really liked their stuff, all men were wearing striped shirts, but at least th Baker ones weren’t widely available in the US, if at all. There was a brief boom when Baker could be found at the higher end department stores, like Nordstroms, but now it seems like Baker has run its course and is back to very limited distribution in the US, basically for the reason you point out. The prices are similar to lower end Paul Smith, but without the quality.
If they’re bringing in their “high end” line, I can’t see it doing well, if the focus is going to be on the more affordable Endurance line, I think they have a chance.
3. stylites | January 17th, 2008 at 5:27 am
Really? They left Shanghai as well? Wow, it would be interesting to get to the bottom of this. The number of Paul Smith fakes these days is really quite spectacular. I wonder if it is because of that, or because of not selling well enough. I think that brands that rely more on their style than their status might have trouble here because of the fakes. People buy Paul Smith mainly for the style, so if you can get the style for much cheaper, why should you buy the original? With LV or Gucci the point in buying it is that it has status, but do Paul Smith or Ted Baker have that? Most young people, the target of these brands, would just buy the fake. Interestingly, many people don’t even perceive it as a fake -just a foreign trade overstock item or something.
Anyway, I think the Endurance line could do well if they reduced the price a bit, almost making it a slightly pricier and better alternative to Zara. There is certainly a lack of stylish suits available for men.
4. Macpod | January 21st, 2008 at 12:15 pm
zara hits a sweet spot as far as prices go. most chinese yuppies wouldnt be able to tell the difference, or dig the fancy lining in the ted baker suites. infact i would probably just get something tailored in china for the same price, i dont fancy the loud lining. as far as shirts go, ben sherman seems to have a larger selection……..are they in china? doubt it.
5. stylites | January 22nd, 2008 at 12:58 am
That’s a good question. I will have to look that one up.
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