Laura Ashley takes back control of Japan business

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Feb 2, 2018

Laura Ashley Holdings said Friday that it is terminating its Master License Agreement with its longstanding Japanese partner Aeon. The deal, under which Aeon’s Laura Ashley Japan Co Ltd held the rights to own and operate the brand’s retail stores in the country and other Asian territories, will end in mid-September.

Following the termination, Laura Ashley Holdings will take back the master licensing rights to Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong and it’s clearly not the end of the label in the area. 

The company said that “there are many loyal Laura Ashley customers in these territories and the company intends to continue to serve them by managing the existing licensees as well as adding new licensees in order to offer an even wider range of products.”

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While the Laura Ashley Japan Co Ltd stores will close as of 17 September, customers will continue to be able to buy Laura Ashley products in Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

The UK firm’s CEO KC Ng said: "The Laura Ashley brand has been much-loved in Japan for over 30 years, and we see an exciting opportunity to build on this with the master licensing rights back under our management. Laura Ashley has a strong future in Japan and we are grateful to Aeon for its co-operation and help in building the brand presence in the region."