The Gulf Time Newspaper One of the finest business newspapers in the UAE brought to you by our professional writers and editors.
Bloomberg
Canada Goose Holdings Inc. is pushing ahead with its China expansion, betting its strategy of selling premium coats directly to customers will help overcome a proliferation of knockoffs and
the nation’s consumption slowdown.
The Toronto, Canada-based company has dealt with counterfeits soon after it started selling globally two decades ago, CEO Dani Reiss said in an interview in Beijing. “We’re used to it,†he said. “It’s very important for us to protect our brand and educate the consumer so they won’t be fooled into buying a fake jacket.”
Reiss faces an uphill battle in China, where many consumers were first introduced to the brand’s logo on an imitation parka, sometimes with “China Goose†emblazoned on the patch, and a map of the middle kingdom in place of Antarctica. The knockoffs can be found retailing for about 400 yuan ($58) on Alibaba’s Taobao, a fraction of the up to $1,550 US consumers pay for the real deal.
Status Symbol
The brand took off in China partly after celebrities including billionaire Jack Ma were photographed wearing the coats.
While the jackets have become a status symbol, the lookalikes found online may also be an effective marketing tool, according to Kantar Worldpanel analyst Sam Zhao.