Les Enphants Co Ltd (麗嬰房), one of the nation’s major retailers of children’s garments, on Wednesday opened its first “experience center” in Taipei’s Neihu District (內湖) as part of the firm’s effort to improve its image.
Les Enphants hopes to transform itself from a retailer into a children’s garment brand that offers a better experience for parents and their babies, company chairman Lin Po-tsang (林柏蒼) said at the launch event.
New and expectant parents can learn about basic infant care and experience a wide range of products at its experience centers, Les Enphants said.
The 46-year-old firm is planning to open another experience center in the south of the nation next year to expand its market presence, the company said.
In China, the company so far this year has opened two experience centers in Shanghai and plans to open another one in the fourth quarter.
Les Enphants has about 290 outlets in Taiwan and 1,100 in China, company data showed.
Revenue in the first eight months of this year dropped 17.6 percent to NT$4.27 billion (US$141.4 million) from NT$5.19 billion the previous year, primarily due to declining sales in China amid fierce competition, the company said.
To improve its operations in China, the company said it is looking to shut down some unprofitable outlets.
Les Enphants entered the Chinese market in 1993 and its Chinese customers contribute about 65 percent of the firm’s total sales, company data showed.
The company — which reported a net loss of NT$21.33 million last year — said its business would likely break even this year on the back of a sale and leaseback agreement for its 18-year-old building in Neihu.
The rental yield of the building is likely to be between 2.5 and 3 percent, the company said.
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