Authentic Brands Expands Asian Footprint With New Shanghai Hub

Authentic Brands affirms its commitment to the Asian market. The U.S. group specializing in brand development and management has opened its Asia-Pacific headquarters in Shanghai, with the aim of consolidating its presence in the region and strengthening collaboration with local partners. The opening is part of its internationalization strategy based on regional hubs and comes at a time of global growth for the group.

Located in the heart of Shanghai and covering nearly 2,000 square meters, the new headquarters will house five immersive showrooms, a style studio, an executive lounge and specialized teams in business development, marketing, public relations, lifestyle and entertainment. With this, Authentic seeks to replicate its regionalization model that it has already implemented in Europe with its headquarters on the continent, which opened in 2024.

"Shanghai's dynamism and growth opportunities in China make it the ideal place to establish our regional headquarters," explained the company's CEO, Jamie Salter, during the opening ceremony. "We want to build strong, local partnerships that will enable us to unlock the full potential of our brands in the Asian market," he added.

For his part, group president Matt Maddox noted that "these types of offices not only allow local teams to work in a more connected way, but also serve as meeting points for our partners and showcase expertise."

Authentic Brands has launched a hub in China to promote a global strategy with a local focus.

Founded in 2010, the Authentic Brands Group has based its growth on the acquisition of iconic brands that it repositions to adapt them to the new times through strategic licensing. Today, the conglomerate manages more than 50 brands in the sports, lifestyle and entertainment sectors, with a presence in 150 countries, more than 29,000 physical stores and 400,000 points of sale.

Its portfolio includes such diverse names as Reebok, Champion, Quiksilver, Brooks Brothers, Juicy Couture, Ted Baker, Nautica, Billabong, Hunter, Aéropostale, Vince Camuto and Nine West. Through its joint venture with Saks Global, it also operates luxury and affordable luxury brands such as Barneys New York, Judith Leiber, Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue. In recent times, the company was in the bidding for Guess, finally in talks with WHP Global.

In recent years, Authentic Brands has strengthened its focus on regions with the highest growth potential, combining global scale with local knowledge. "We are confident that our licensing and storytelling model can connect with the aspirations of Asian consumers," Salter concluded.