Trade Performance in Malaysia
Delayed Launch
Similar to last year, Zalora launched its Eid 2020 collections as early as 3.5 months ahead of the festival. The retailer’s in-house label Lubna was among the first to launch on the site. However, most collections were delayed this year, launching 6 weeks before Eid compared to 10 -13 weeks in 2019.
FashionValet also experienced delayed launches this year, peaking at just 3 weeks before Eid.
Short-Lived Demand
Total sell-out hit the highest level in mid-March but later slowed, as the government implemented the movement control order (MCO) on March 18. However, consumer interest picked up again during Ramadan, as confirmed by Giulio Xiloyannis, CCO of Zalora. The Eid 2020 collections on its site were well received, showing an uplift of 27% YoY, despite the shorter selling window.
Meanwhile, FashionValet saw a boost in sell-out during Ramadan but only recorded single-digit growth for this year’s collection. The retailer also experienced a massive 48% decrease in total sell-out YoY.
Reduced SKUs
FashionValet observed a staggering reduction in its new arrivals (-56%) compared to last year with 44% fewer brands retailing on the site (Chart 2).
Although Zalora’s newness increased this year, some prominent brands including Afiq M, Alia B. and Rico Rinaldi were noticeably missing on the platform.