HIPO·fant - Melinda Earsdon

HIPO·fant ® THE MARKET
The market for children's clothing is a
surprisingly complex one . Not only do children
grow out of clothes at an incredible rate, they push
their attire to the limits every day. And as the age
at which they become fashion conscious seems
to be falling each year, it is an increasing reality
that the children's clothing industry is an
extremely lucrative market. Despite this, few
companies live up the standards we expect for
our children.
That can not be said about HIPO .fant, whose
name has been synonymous with top-quality
children's wear since 1993. Valued by families
throughout the region for its high-quality, durable
yet attractive clothing for infants and children
alike, the company has long been a guiding force
when it comes to chic kids. Its
contemporary
and
classy
designs provide an excellent
array of choices to suit the needs
of every possible occasion from
outdoor playtime to school
interviews to parties and even
formal events.
sporty casual
collections.
and
party
HISTORY
Much as children's birthdays
are important, HIPO .fanr
recently
celebrated
an
anniversary when it reached
the grand old age of II . Th e
company fITst opened irs
doors in 1993 w ith a -mall
boutique
III
busrling
Causeway Bay, ~\· hich sold
products for infants up to the
age of24 months. At that time
parents were limited in
choice to high-end clothing
ACHIEVEMENTS
Over the years HIPO.fant has
eamed a place in the hearts of
middle to upper class families
throughollt the territory, all of
whom love the quality and style
presented in each collection.
When they dress their newbom
babies, toddlers and tweenies in
HIPO .fant, they rest safe in the knowledge that
not only is the clothing delightful for both parents
and child, it is also comfortable for each particular
age group. This goes some way to explaining why
HIPO.fant is the premium brand of infant and
baby clothing in Hong Kong.
For parents, the HIPO.fant infant collection
is widely applauded as the best in town.
Boasting cute images , tantalising
fabrics and appropriate designs, the
company boldly claims that every
single newborn in town possesses at
least one item of clothing from
HIPO.fant.
Following a recent revolution in its
design direction, the HIPO.fant Junior
collection has taken on a new lease of
life and boasts much more fashionable
styles in bright colours, bringing it closer
to the hearts of both mother and child. The
company also recently launched a special
occasion range designed to provide city smart,
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produced by big fashion brands unskilled in the
specific details involved in producing children's
clothes and cheap , poorly produced offerings
from discount stores. The company realised there
was a niche in the
market for top
clothing, the company branched out to include _
junior collection in 1994. It was not long befor~
HIPO .fant had formed a loyal clientele, and 2S
their children grew, so did the company.
But not content with just making the childre:.
of Hong Kong look beautiful , HIPO.fant decide:
to spread its wings and the first Singapore branc'"
was opened in 1999. Shortly afterwards , th~
company also branched out to Macau and China..
Initially a redemption item in the HI PO Coe
Program, HIPO .fant introduced its first children·,
furnishings collection after witnessing th::
runaway success of these pieces during iE
campaigns. A firm favourite with parents an.:
children alike, they transform any bedroom iut:
a veritable castle.
Today, HIPO.fant is a part of the famil.
constantly striving to bring only the fine,:
clothing, toys and furnishings home for its man:
children. The company boasts 23 shops in Hon5"
Kong, two in Macau, 12 in China and four i:.
Singapore, making it one of the regions' leading
infant and children's wear retail chains.
THE PRODUCT
quality, affordable children's
apparel which would be worn by middle
to upper class children and filled the gap with
high-quality, classy clothing. Having quickly
gained a reputation for excellent quality attractive
HIPO.fant clothing has long bee:.
considered cute and charming ye~
soph isticated and chic, comb in in:
excellent quality with good stylio:
and contemporary design. And as a market leade:.
the company prides itself on offering a complete
range of clothing designed specifically for specia:
occasions including the city smart, sporty casua_
and party collections. Essentially split into two.
the HIPO.fant clothing range can be divided iut
the infant collection, catering to children fro rr.
birth to 24 months, and the junior collection, fo:
children aged two to 14 years .
But the obvious division in the HIPO.fant
:ange is as simple as boys and girls. All little girls
.ove to be the centre of attention and look pretty,
:rod HIPO.fant 's beautifully cut clothing featuring
~ l egant, delicate patterns is guaranteed to make
:ll1y little princess feel like the belle of the ball.
Gorgeous pink sundresses are happily
.lccessorised with matching hats, and powder blue
:ardigans rest gently on the shoulders over co­
.:;rdinated skirts, just like mummy. While the boys '
:-ange tends to focus on bolder, more simple
~ esigns than those for girls, the junior boy
::ollection is equally outstanding presenting smart,
: andsome little men . And because little boys tend
:0 be more rough and tumble than girls, the bright
~o lours and resilient fabrics of the HIPO.fant
:-ange ensures your terror still looks good after
:ill hour of rolling around in the park. For both
:ollections, the practical yet attractive fabrics are
::nported from Europe and Japan and range from
iine knits to fashionable weaves. The entire range
:alls under the category of mix and match ,
:::leaning there is plenty of room for little ones to
=xpress their personality through their clothes.
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
."'- side from just clothing, HIPO .fant has taken
2dvantage of its strong market image to branch
emf to include a wide range of toys, furnishings
.lnd lifestyle products especially designed to
::.~commodate children and their parents. Products
:nclude armchairs especially for toddlers, aprons
:o r both generations and shopping bags so mum
can cany new clothes home. Much as the children
who frequent the shop, the company set itself a
goal for the future, aiming to provide for every
possible need for the infants , children and of
course parents who adore HIPO.fant.
On a corporate level, the most important
recent development for HIPO.fant has been its
recent entry into mainland China. Despite only
opening its first shop in 2003, the company
premium or promotional item that is redeemable
at a lower than original price .
And finally the HIPO Coin Programme is an
extremely successful cusromer loya lty program.
For every purchase the customer is presented with
a HIPO coin sticker. Once you have collected
sufficient stickers, the customer is entitled to
redeem a gift from a wide selection ofHIPO.fant
products .
BRAND VALUES
HIPO .fant believes the core principal behind a
successful children's wear range is quality. As
such, the company strives to provide the highest
calibre of products that boast the utmost in
comfort and style for our future generation. As
such, the design and merchandising teams work
hard in developing the design, cut and fabrics to
achieve this goal.
HIPO .fant is just like one of the family and
simply adores its little chums. It watches over the
many children who visit with the eye of a friendly
aunt. It is caring, loving and protective yet eager
to nurture each little step of independence on the
road to adulthood.
already has 12 branches in Shanghai, Shenzhen,
Guangzhou, Nanjing, Dalian and Wenzhou. Of
these 12 stores, four are franchises and the rest
are owned by the HIPO.fant group directly.
Additional outlets will be opened throughout
2004 and 2005.
PROMOTION
HIPO.fant develops superior and dynamic
marketing programmes designed £0 build the
company's brand equity and bu ild cus tomer
loyalty, which in turn encourages repeat
purchases.
In terms of image building, HIPO .fant is a
regular advertiser not only in magazi nes and
newspapers , but also on outdoor media including
buses and the Mass Transit Railway. In addition,
celebrity mothers such as Janet Ma Sze Wai and
Teresa Mo stand up to recommend HIPO.fant as
their best choice when it comes to their children's
attire .
HIPO.fant also engages in premiums and
promotions, which offer great value on selected
items. There is always at least one attractive
THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT HIPO.tant o HIPO.fant
began li fe as a producer of
quality infants · wear. and its trade name
was employed £0 project the image of a
healthy baby as strong as a hippo
J Despi te its earl y start, the HIPO.fant
collection has expanded considerably
oyer the years and now incorporates
choices for boys and girls ages all the way
up to 14. The junior collections are
greatly appreciated by Hong Kong ' s
sophisticated parents
o In addition to apparel, HIPO.fant presents
a collection of lifestyle products that
complete the range for customers ,
offering everything from tissue boxes to
photo frames, height charts, coat racks
and sofas. Anything you can find in an
infant or child 's bedroom, you can find
at HIPO.fant
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