Buying into a new idea

International online retailer Shopbop's CEO Darcy Penick (above) says Asia is becoming increasingly important for her company. The website offers a collection of monkey-themed products to mark the Chinese Lunar New Year.[Photo provided to China Daily]

"We make sure that we speak to the customer in a meaningful way and have products specific to Chinese customers, ... but doing it with our perspective on fashion."

The website is now offering a collection of monkey-themed products to mark the Year of the Monkey in the Chinese lunar calendar.

While Penick didn't give specific figures on market size or growth rate, she says the company has seen double- and even triple-digit growth every year for the past five years.

The US continues to be a major market, but Asia is becoming increasingly important for the company, she says.

"It's a hugely important market to us and one that we will continue to invest in."

Penick also led the founding of East Dane, a site for menswear, which has been launched in China.

"We will grow it in a very organic way, similar to how we've grown Shopbop. It's not with huge marketing initiatives and trying to be very loud and big, but through natural growth."

Contact the writer at sunyuanqing@chinadaily.com.cn