True Religion expands into China

By

Jennifer Braun

Published
Mar 30, 2023

American denim and sportswear brand True Religion announced on Thursday plans to expand into China via a partnership with Aurorae Group.

As part of the partnership, True Religion is committed to opening a mix of 65 freestanding stores and shop-in-shops by 2026 and a total of 108 by 2028.

Beyond retail, it will also expand its e-commerce presence in the region including with Tmall.com, JD.com, Douyin.com, and Dewu.com, among others, while its own direct-to-consumer ecommerce business will continue to focus on key markets, specifically growing North America.

As the exclusive distributor in China for True Religion, Aurorae Group will have the rights to sell the full range of True Religion’s assortment, including core denim, heritage products, and collaboration collections. 

Under license, it will also develop product across men’s, women’s, kids apparel and accessories specifically designed for the Chinese market, and collaborate with locally important partners and talents.

“Expansion into the Chinese market has been on our roadmap for the past several years, so we are very excited about our partnership with the fantastic team at Aurorae Group,” said Michael Buckley, chief executive officer, True Religion. 

“The right partner is key to success in China, and Aurorae’s proven local market expertise will enable us to successfully grow True Religion’s presence throughout mainland China as well as in Hong Kong and Macau."

This move is part of True Religion’s global growth strategy as it aims to increase its global footprint. Looking ahead, the Chinese market is expected to represent 10% of True Religion’s global brand volume by 2026.

Aurorae Group is a leading global fashion and lifestyle retail enterprise based in Asia. Its flagship, Evisu, has more than 350 points of sale globally, of which 185 are standalone retail stores. 

“We are enthusiastic about this partnership,” said David Pun, chairman and chief executive officer, Evisu. “We are looking forward to introducing True Religion to a new wave of Chinese consumers and leveraging our comprehensive relationships and extensive retail networks in Asia to bring the brand to unprecedented new heights.”