On December 21, the Chinese outdoor lifestyle brand Beneunder announced on its official Instagram that its first overseas store would open. Located on the first floor of the Westgate Mall in Singapore, the store offers a range of classic sun protection products including compact black umbrellas, sun protection clothing, and folding sunglasses.
Westgate Mall, a property of CapitaLand, is situated in a core business district of the area. Neighboring Beneunder are the Japanese eyewear chain Owndays, Singaporean local fashion brand Recoil, and Chinese fashion leisure clothing brand YISHION. Additionally, the Chinese trendy toy brand POP MART has also opened a store on the same floor.
YISHION expanded into the Asian market in 2006 and established its Southeast Asian headquarters in Singapore in 2011, currently operating eight brick-and-mortar stores in Singapore. POP MART entered Singapore in 2021 with a store in the commercial landmark FUNAN Mall, marking its offline expansion into Southeast Asia. It now has eight stores in Singapore.
Founded in 2013 in Hangzhou by post-80s entrepreneurs Ma Long and Lin Ze, Beneunder launched its first sun protection product that year – a double-layered compact black umbrella. The brand name, derived from “under the banana leaf,” reflects its focus on meeting young women’s outdoor sun protection needs from its very first product.
In 2019, Beneunder expanded its product line to include non-umbrella items such as sun protection clothing and masks. By 2021, it further extended to canvas shoes, Martin boots, innerwear, warm clothing, and accessories, covering scenarios like refined camping, casual sports, urban life, travel and holidays, and nature outings.
Beneunder claims to be China’s largest sun protection clothing brand in terms of total retail and online retail sales in 2021, holding market shares of 5.0% and 12.9% respectively. Its online retail sales are even five times higher than the second-largest brand in the segment.
Beneunder’s choice of Singapore for its first overseas store is closely related to the local hot and sunny tropical climate. The strong demand for sun protection among local consumers and overseas visitors is evident. Additionally, Singapore, with its similar culture and lifestyle to China, has become a preferred destination for many Chinese fashion brands expanding overseas:
- Urban Revivo: In January 2017, UR opened its first overseas store on the first floor of the Raffles City Shopping Centre.
- Heilan Home: In January 2017, Heilan Home opened its first overseas store in the Raffles City Shopping Centre in Singapore.
- NEIWAI: In July 2023, NEIWAI opened its flagship store in Singapore, marking its first overseas offline store, located on the first floor of the Raffles City Shopping Centre.
Notably, the Raffles City Shopping Centre is also under the CapitaLand Group.
| Source: Beneunder’s official Instagram
| Image Credit: Westgate Mall official website
丨Reporter: Wang Jiaqi
| Editor: LeZhi
