Belle International Holdings Limited is a women's shoe retailer in China, with 22% of the domestic market share. It is engaged in the manufacturing, distribution, and retail sales of

footwear Footwear refers to garments worn on the feet, which typically serves the purpose of protection against adversities of the environment such as wear from ground textures and temperature. Footwear in the manner of shoes therefore primarily serves ...

products. It offers a number of brand names, including ''Belle'', ''Staccato'', ''Teenmix'', ''Tata'', ''Fato'', ''JipiJapa'', ''Joy & Peace,'' and ''Bata''. As of its IPO in May 2007, the company had 3,828 retail outlets in 150 cities in China and 35 in Hong Kong, Macau and the US. In September 2008, Belle was named No. 8 in the BusinessWeek Asia 50,

Businessweek ''Bloomberg Businessweek'', previously known as ''BusinessWeek'', is an American weekly business magazine published fifty times a year. Since 2009, the magazine is owned by New York City-based Bloomberg L.P. The magazine debuted in New York City ...

's annual ranking of top Asian companies.

History

Belle's founder and chairman,

Tang Yiu Tang Yiu () is a Hong Kong billionaire businessman, the founder of shoe and sportswear retailer Belle International. He is Chairman of the Federation of Hong Kong Footwear Ltd and honorary president of the Sam Shui Natives Association. Tang was a ...

, started Lai Wah Footwear Trading Ltd. in 1981 in Hong Kong. He started Belle International in 1991 as a shoe wholesale manufacturer, and the company expanded into retail in 2004. It attracted private equity investors including

Morgan Stanley Morgan Stanley is an American multinational investment management and financial services company headquartered at 1585 Broadway in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. With offices in more than 41 countries and more than 75,000 employees, the fir ...

and domestic Chinese private equity manager CDH. In May 2007 Belle raised $1.1 billion in an IPO on the

Hong Kong Stock Exchange The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong (SEHK, also known as Hong Kong Stock Exchange) is a stock exchange based in Hong Kong. As of the end of 2020, it has 2,538 listed companies with a combined market capitalization of HK$47 trillion. It is rep ...

. The offering was priced at the top of the range, at 31 times its estimated 2007 earnings, after retail investors ordered more than 500 times the shares initially earmarked for them. According to the IPO prospectus, an investment company linked to Groupe Arnault, parent of French luxury goods group

LVMH LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (), commonly known as LVMH, is a French holding multinational corporation and conglomerate specializing in luxury goods, headquartered in Paris. The company was formed in 1987 through the merger of fashion house ...

, purchased $30 million worth of shares as a strategic corporate investor. Belle raised an additional $775 million in two secondary listings in November 2007 and April 2008, which it used to buy several competing brands. In 2007, Belle reported profits of $291 million (up 102% over 2006) on sales of $1.7 billion (up 89% over 2006). Its three women's brands - Staccato, Millie's, and Joy&Peace - account for about a 50% share of the $90-$150 shoe segment in China. Non-sports shoes account for 67% of sales, and licensing agreements with global brands make up the remainder. In 2006, Belle International won the contract to be the biggest distributor of

Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine give ...

and

Adidas Adidas AG (; stylized as adidas since 1949) is a German multinational corporation, founded and headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, that designs and manufactures shoes, clothing and accessories. It is the largest sportswear manufacture ...

in China. Belle International also operates other sports and leisure wear brands including Li Ning,

Reebok Reebok International Limited () is an American fitness footwear and clothing manufacturer that is a part of Authentic Brands Group. It was established in England in 1958 as a companion company to J.W. Foster and Sons, a sporting goods company ...

, and

Kappa (company) Kappa is an Italian sportswear brand founded in Turin, Piedmont, Italy in 1978 by Marco Boglione, as a sportswear branch of the already existing "Robe di Kappa". History Maglificio Calzificio Torinese (MCT), a sock and underwear company from ...

. In 2009, Belle sold its shares in Fila China to

ANTA Sports Anta Sports Products Limited is a Chinese sports equipment multinational corporation headquartered in Jinjiang. It is the world's largest purely sports equipment company by revenue and third-largest manufacturer of sporting goods overall, behind ...

, which

Fila Fila Holdings Corp. is a sportswear brand of shoes and apparel. The company was founded by Ettore and Giansevero Fila in 1911 in Coggiola, near Biella, Piedmont, Italy. In 2003, it was sold to United States-based Sports Brand International. ...

China was its subsidiary (owned 85%). Sportswear distribution represented 39% of the company's sales in 2014. Since 2006, Belle International has been the exclusive distributor for Adidas and Nike in the territory of mainland China. Belle International generates a third of its total sales with this partnership. In addition, Belle International sells the brands Puma, Converse, Reebok, Vans, Bata, Mizuno, Clarks, Mephisto, among others, which account for 5.3% of total sales.

References

External links

* {{commons category, Belle International
Belle International Holdings Limited
Companies listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange Retail companies established in 1991 Companies based in Shenzhen Civilian-run enterprises of China Chinese brands Shoe brands Retail companies of China Offshore companies of the Cayman Islands Shoe companies of China Chinese companies established in 1991