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A growing sense of style

Fashion retail sector runs hot as cashmere specialist Shenzhen Erdos and foreign brands look to expand

International retailers are swiftly positioning themselves to gain a slice of the market as incomes rise and fashion awareness increases among mainland consumers. Europe-based clothing chain C&A is the latest among the big-name overseas stores to announce expansion plans in China.

It will open four shops in Shanghai in the next few months, and will be closely followed by Swedish fashion house H&M, which will open two stores.

The stores will face stiff competition from Hong Kong brands such as Giordano and Bossini, and from leading mainland enterprises such as Shenzhen Erdos Garment Company, a cashmere garment and silk specialist.

As the fashion retail sector grows, there will be many job opportunities for buyers, merchandisers, designers, display specialists and sales professionals.

Erdos, in particular, will need experienced candidates to fill various roles for its chain of about 60 outlets, which it plans to expand to about 100 in three years.

The stores are all located in the southern provinces of Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian and Hainan.

The company is a retail arm of the Erdos Group, which is based in Inner Mongolia and controls about 40 per cent of China's cashmere supply.

It exports finished products to more than 30 countries and has been recognised as one of the mainland's top industrial brands by the China Brand Research Institute. The group has several other subsidiaries operating in the mainland, mostly in garment-related businesses.

'We have at least three employees in one shop and there will be about 10 vacancies this year,' said Stilwell Sun, the administration and human resources manager of Shenzhen Erdos Garment. Bright and diligent sales employees will have the opportunity to be promoted to the level of shop supervisor and manager.

Mr Sun said the chain welcomed job applicants from Hong Kong and the mainland.

'Hong Kong workers are very experienced and are high-quality professionals,' Mr Sun said. He acknowledged, however, that anyone preparing to relocate across the border should expect some 'culture shock', as the company was a state-owned enterprise.

'Shenzhen has a different culture from Hong Kong, and the company is very traditional,' he said. 'Our practices, habits and working environment are different.'

New recruits must be ready to adapt, and be capable of overcoming unforeseen difficulties. They will receive comprehensive training in the craft of manufacturing cashmere and its various types of products. For example, they learn how high-quality cashmere wool is obtained from goats reared in northern China. The fibres are known for being particularly soft and can be woven into fine and thick yarn.

Cashmere products are not cheap, and a sweater can cost about 1,000 yuan. This is largely because of the time-consuming and labour-intensive method of shearing or combing the wool from each goat, before cleaning, dyeing and turning it into yarn.

As urban consumers in the mainland become more affluent and fashion conscious, sales are expected to take off. Products such as cashmere coats, jackets, hats, scarves and blankets are becoming increasingly popular.

On the recruitment front, Erdos is focused on finding a visual merchandising manager to plan store layouts and create product displays.

Candidates should have experience in fashion retail management, strong product knowledge, artistic talent and an impeccable sense of style.

Also needed are a shop image stylist with a background in visual and installation art and experience in handling retail store displays, and a shop interior designer with project management skills. All three posts will be based in Shenzhen. Mr Sun said that the company would consider candidates from overseas as these roles were important in producing the right look and feel for each store.

Opening Shop

Shenzhen Erdos has about 60 retail outlets in southern China.

The company expects to recruit about 10 additional employees this year.

The firm prefers Hongkongers for their skills and experience.

Candidates relocating from Hong Kong should be ready for a possible 'culture shock'.

Full training will be given in all aspects of the manufacture of cashmere products.

The immediate priority is to find a visual merchandising manager, shop image stylist and a shop interior designer.

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