SMCP Forges Deal With JD.com, Expanding Online Offer in China

PARIS — SMCP has struck a deal with JD.com as it seeks to widen the reach of its contemporary fashion labels Maje and Sandro with Chinese consumers. Calling the deal an “important milestone” in its digital strategy in the Asia-Pacific region, the company said in a statement it would add to a growing digital presence in China, which already includes own-label web sites as well as a longstanding deal with Alibaba’s Tmall. The French company is controlled by Chinese textile conglomerate Shandong Ruyi Group and was listed on the French stock market in 2017, generating funds to fuel international expansion. Growth has been particularly fast in China, where SMCP now counts 137 stores after opening its first one in Shanghai in 2013. The JD.com deal marks the company’s “ambition to capture all growth opportunities” in the region, where SMCP labels have enjoyed increasing popularity over the past five years, said Flavien d’Audiffret, SMCP’s digital and innovation director. JD.com counts around 400 million users. SMCP’s contemporary labels also have their sights set on the U.S. market. Last fall, Maje opened its fifth Manhattan store in Rockefeller Center.

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