Development of distribution network for high-end clothing brands in Japan and South Korea
The client, an Italian company specialising in the production of high-end outerwear, needed to expand its commercial presence in the strategic markets of Japan and South Korea. The project involved targeted scouting and lead generation activities aimed at distributors, luxury boutiques and department stores in major metropolitan areas (Tokyo, Osaka, Kobe, Seoul). The primary objective was to identify suitable import partners and gauge interest in the product, overcoming linguistic complexities and logistical barriers in the international context.
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Goals
- Identify buyers and import managers within the main distribution channels in the Tokyo, Osaka, Kobe and Seoul areas.
- Verify the concrete interest in new “Made in Italy” collections focused on the outerwear segment.
- Map existing competition and analyze the positioning of competing brands within target stores.
- Generate qualified appointments and collect structured feedback on procurement and budget logic.
- Update and enrich the company database with direct contact information for decision-makers for future marketing actions.
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Activities
- Preliminary analysis and georeferencing of the target database, with a specific focus on key economic areas in Japan and Korea.
- Operational management of direct contact across 120 company records using a multichannel approach (telephone and email).
- In-depth profiling that led to the nominal identification of 49 specific referents (buyers and managers).
- Collected and validated 54 direct email addresses for targeted lookbook and technical materials.
- Conduct qualitative interviews to understand the reasons for refusal (e.g., need to physically view the sample, budget saturation).
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Outcomes
- Complete processing of 120 targeted prospects with an engagement rate
(spoken contact information) of 88 companies. - Generation of 4 immediate sales opportunities (calls or organized visits) corresponding to 5% of the contacts managed.
- Identification and segmentation of 7 high-potential contacts to be included in the pipeline for future developments (8% of the panel).
- Confirmed mapping of 45 distributors active in the marketing of “Made in Italy” brands and 44 specializing in outerwear.
- Gathering essential feedback on post-pandemic dynamics and the specific requests of Asian buyers.
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Value for the customer
- Building a qualified sales pipeline in highly culturally and linguistically complex markets.
- Acquisition of a clean and segmented proprietary database, a fundamental asset for ongoing nurturing actions.
- Clear understanding of competitive positioning compared to leading brands in the luxury outerwear sector.
- Optimize your export strategy thanks to direct knowledge of the barriers to entry identified in the field.
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