Local brands growing in cachet

WHILE competition will come from all directions for a slice of the Asean consumer market, interest in local brands will remain strong in the region, Accenture's latest study found out.

In Singapore, for instance, the impact of this movement is already apparent even in prominent retail spaces along Orchard Road. In department store stalwart, Tangs at Tang Plaza, born-and-bred Singaporean brands such as Shermay's Singapore Fine Food, Bynd Artisan (leather crafts) and Carrie K (jewellery) now occupy prominent escalator-facing retail spaces across all floors, from its kitchen sections in the basement right up to its jewellery, stationery and menswear sections.

Howie Leong, Tangs' vice-president of merchandising, said: "Globalisation has become the great equaliser. The world has also opened up quite a bit, everything is easily accessible now with the Internet and the ease of travel. There are also more local brands now than ever before, and as with anything, the more commonplace it becomes, the more accepting people are of it."