With offline sales sluggish, Thai fast fashion brand Pomelo will launch Prism platform

JD.com-backed Thai fashion e-commerce startup Pomelo plans to boost revenue by offering its analytics and demand forecasting technology to other fashion brands in the region as offline sales are slow , said David Jou, chief executive of the company.

The women’s fashion company , which started online in 2013, plans to launch Prism, a business-to-business platform next month , providing services such as demand planning and logistics to other fashion and lifestyle brands.

The plan comes as physical store sales and foot traffic have fallen. In the first quarter of this year, store traffic in Thailand plunged 71%, while traffic in other markets fell by about 20%, David Jou said in an interview.

Its B2B services have attracted brands like Levi’s as customers. The startup has raised a total of $83 million from investors including Thailand’s largest retailer Central Group and competes with the likes of Japan’s Uniqlo.

He said retailers were accelerating digitalisation as a result of the pandemic, creating demand for services. Local brands that already understand their customers could receive support in product development , textile sourcing and supply chain management, David Jou said.

Pomelo will continue to sell its own clothing brands and plans to add 44 physical stores to the current 25 locations. The company is also working with ride-hailing company Grab to trial letting customers try on clothes at home.

According to the company, the Philippines currently accounts for 10% of Pomelo’s total orders per month , and the brand has completed 100,000 orders from local consumers after listing on Zalora Philippines .

In March this year , Pomelo’s exclusive collaborations and fashion apparel appeared on the Philippine online platform, including the new spring and summer 2021 collection, along with a cash back rewards and loyalty program “Pomelo Perks”.

Coinciding with the brand’s eighth anniversary, the spring/summer launch has the potential to strengthen Pomelo ’s presence in Southeast Asia and increase its market share in the Philippines. This year, the brand has stepped up its expansion efforts in the region with the opening of new stores in Singapore and Indonesia.

Thailand

Fast Fashion