Luxuriance Ornaments

Introduction

The company was established in August 2007 with the main purpose of acquiring, building and growing the Hello Kitty brand in South Africa.

Hello Kitty comes from Japan and is distributed worldwide, including Asia, the Americas and Europe. Currently, no one holds the distribution rights locally. In order to successfully drive the process, the company opened its first Hello Kitty store – Rosa La Gattina – in Johannesburg’s Bedford Centre during 2008. The second store in Melrose Arch was opened in April 2009 and a third store was opened in Village View - Bedfordview in May 2009 and thereafter an fourth store in Irene Mall in March 2010.

Trading performance indicates that there is significant demand for the Hello Kitty range, particularly among young girls and women. These consumers are willing to pay a premium for the brand, reinforcing its viability in the market.

Services

Special emphasis is placed on key Hello Kitty lines, for example:

•	Apparel
•	Stationery
•	School supplies
•	Bags
•	Accessories
•	Room décor
•	Plush character toys

Landlords benefit by means of:

•	Global brand availability
•	Exclusivity in terms of limited footprint
•	Differentiation among other shopping centres
•	More choice, specifically in terms of gifting
•	Appealing, fun shopping environment
•	Frequent change over of stock
•	Affluent and upmarket consumer profile
•	Advertising investment drives increased foot traffic
•	Job creation opportunity
•	Reliable corporate tenant

Outlook

The company is actively seeking new store locations, and will enter into negotiations regarding the Hello Kitty distribution agency in the future.