CJ O Shopping golf wear brand sales exceeds W100 bil.

By Nam Hyun-woo

Actor Won Bin promotes CJ ENM O Shopping's golf wear brand Jean-Michel Basquiat. Courtesy of CJ ENM O Shopping

CJ ENM O Shopping's golf wear brand Jean-Michel Basquiat has surpassed the 100 billion won mark in accumulated orders, the CJ group unit said Friday.

According to the CJ ENM O Shopping, the brand surpassed the 100 billion won mark as of last week, after logging an average 30 percent annual growth since its launch in October 2016.

The brand, a premium golf wear brand launched by the division after signing an exclusive license agreement with the Jean-Michel Basquiat foundation, logged 15 billion won of orders in its debutant year and doubled the number in 2017, the CJ ENM home shopping division said.

After logging orders worth 40 billion won last year, the brand posted 17 billion won of orders so far this year, with the division expecting another 50 billion won of orders this year, taking into account the seasonal effect boosts orders from September.

The division said customers found appeal in the premium materials used in the Basquiat range, including lama hair from Peru and Hungarian goose down, the products' fine overall quality and the brand's tactic to provide various sizes.

These led the brand to record a return rate which is 15 percentage point lower than other sportswear brands available at CJ ENM O Shopping. Korean TV home shopping offers free return shipping.

“Along with the branding tactic of collaborating with artist Jean-Michel Basquiat's foundation, the premium quality of apparel was also a crucial reason for our success,” said Cho Young-Hwan, an official at CJ ENM O Shopping. “Beginning from fall/winter season, we will totally renew all products to become a high-end golf apparel brand and distinguish the brand's consumer reputation from that of other TV home shopping channels.”