Buying into a new idea

International online retailer Shopbop's CEO Darcy Penick says Asia is becoming increasingly important for her company. The website offers a collection of monkey-themed products to mark the Chinese Lunar New Year.[Photo provided to China Daily]

Penick, who arrived in Beijing from South Korea, also spent some time visiting local malls and boutiques to get a glimpse of the fashion scene here.

Shopbop has taken on a few South Korean brands and Penick says she is seeking to add some Chinese designers to its portfolio.

"There is an art and science to it (fashion buying)," she says. "Our buyers travel all around the world to find new exciting brands, ... but we also use a large amount of data to make sure that we are buying into the things that the customers are responding to."

Founded in 2000, Shopbop started out as a denim-focused shop based in Madison, Wisconsin, in the United States, and later developed into an online business. The company was acquired by Amazon.com in 2006.

Although the company has been shipping products globally since 2001, one year after its founding, international expansion didn't become a focus until four years ago, says Penick.

Since then, the website has been translated into seven foreign languages including Chinese. Free delivery worldwide is offered for orders over $100. Local staff has been trained to offer localized customer service.

The company has accounts on Weibo and WeChat, the country's most popular social media platform and instant massaging app, respectively, to interact with the customers.

This combination of fashion perspective and localized customer service has proved an effective formula for the local market, says Penick.