True Religion plots big expansion in China
True Religion will expand into China with partner Aurorae Group, owner of EVISU Group. Plans call for the opening of a mix of 65 freestanding stores and shop-in-shops by 2026, growing to a total of 108 by 2028.
True Religions said its move into China comes as part its global growth strategy and is a significant milestone in its journey to increase its global footprint. The Chinese market is expected to represent 10% of True Religion’s global brand volume by 2026.
“Expansion into the Chinese market has been on our roadmap for the past several years, so we are very excited about our partnership with the fantastic team at Aurorae Group,” said Michael Buckley, CEO, True Religion. “The right partner is key to success in China, and Aurorae’s proven local market expertise will enable us to successfully grow True Religion’s presence throughout mainland China as well as in Hong Kong and Macau.”
In addition to physical retail, the partnership expands True Religion’s e-commerce presence in the region. Tmall.com, JD.com, Douyin.com, and Dewu.com, among others, will soon offer True Religion merchandise.
True Religion’s own direct-to-consumer e-commerce business will continue to focus on key markets, specifically growing North America.
“We are enthusiastic about this partnership,” said David Pun, chairman and CEO, EVISU Group. “We are looking forward to introducing True Religion to a new wave of Chinese consumers and leveraging our comprehensive relationships and extensive retail networks in Asia to bring the brand to unprecedented new heights.”
As the exclusive distributor in China for True Religion, Aurorae Group will have the rights to sell the full range of True Religion’s assortment, including core denim, heritage products, and collaboration collections. True Religion’s classic signatures—its iconic stitch, horseshoe logo, and man with guitar—will be available throughout the collection. Under license, it will also develop product across men’s, women’s, kids apparel and accessories specifically designed for the Chinese market, and collaborate with locally important partners and talents.
Aurorae Group is a leading global fashion & lifestyle retail enterprise based in Asia and is the exclusive distributor to a number of world-renowned brands. Its flagship, EVISU, has more than 350 points of sale globally, of which 185 are standalone retail stores.