Home-grown retailer John Little opened a new and bigger store at Plaza Singapura last week, marking yet another milestone in its history. Occupying 38,000 square feet, it boasts a more robust and fashion-forward portfolio, with more than 25 new brands covering all categories from ladies’, men’s and kids’ fashion to home merchandise.

One of the more prominent new labels it now offers is George. It’s one of the United Kingdom’s most popular fashion retailers, and takes over a unique 8,000 square feet franchise store within John Little.

Known for its fresh designs and value-for-money apparel, it has exported its interpretation of British design to 35 countries around the world, including Canada, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Japan, the United States and now, Singapore.

The Singapore store also marks the start of its South-east Asian expansion. According to the brand’s retail and international director, Jo Whitfield, George is very excited to be working with John Little, which shares the same ambition and core values.

“Singapore is an exciting market for us. We’re confident that the Plaza Singapura shoppers will love the style and quality of our ranges and be amazed at the excellent value for money,” she said.

Q: What is the international reach of the brand?

A: We are growing internationally at a good pace. We sell in a few different ways internationally: For instance, we have Wal-Mart in Chile, Canada and Japan. We also trade George outside of Wal-Mart with franchise partners, with Singapore being the most recent. We also sell overseas via our online channel, www.George.com. We are looking for markets that are attractive and those that have an appetite for fashion and appreciate good value.

Q: How have you had to fine-tune your brand to different markets?

A: Our message is the same. The brand is built on three key elements: Quality, so customers can buy it with confidence that it will last; fashionability, because we interpret and translate looks from the catwalk; and value, so customers can know they are getting the best deal. We have used that message successfully in the UK market, and we are looking to explain that to new customers around the world. We are looking to find different ways of talking to new customers, (which is why) we partnered with John Little here. It helps us make sure we get the message across in the right way.

Q: How do you adapt to local tastes?

A: We sell different items in different markets. And the task of the George team is selecting the right items for the market. Some markets can take the full collection as it is, and for some markets they consider the fabrication, seasonality and trends to pick the right items. For instance, we recognise it’s no point selling huge coats in Singapore!

Q: Why did you decide on Singapore?

A: We think it’s a fantastic retail environment here, and the appetite for fashion and value is strong and we also wanted to find the right business partner with the same value credentials as our brand.

Q: Do you have a core design team?

A: We do. We have our own in-house design team with about 70 people who focus on listening to the customer and listening to what their needs are, and predicting what they will need in the next few months. Our design team also looks at what is happening on the catwalk, fashion blogs and what the style on the streets is. We take all of that information, and we process it to get the inspirational concepts and find out what is wearable for the customer. We are a product development business as well as a retailer.

Q: How do you maintain a balance for good value and quality?

A: Because we are a successful retailer in the UK, we can plan well with factories and suppliers, so we can buy large volumes at good prices. We are also able to ship cost-effectively, so we can pass the savings on to the customer.

You can find John Little and George at #01-10/22 Plaza Singapura.