French lingerie brand Etam to exit China after 31 years​

French lingerie brand Etam is ceasing operations on all Chinese eCommerce platforms, marking its potential withdrawal from the Chinese market following a 31-year presence.​

First entering China in 1994, the brand opened its first flagship store in Shanghai and expanded rapidly to 723 stores across the country within just two years, according to Sina.​

In official announcements posted on its verified accounts on Tmall and Xiaohongshu, Etam stated that its Tmall flagship store would halt operations from 30 November due to "business restructuring".

Notably, the brand had already closed all its physical stores in China by 2020, making the latest eCommerce shutdown a potential conclusion to its operations in the Chinese market.​

The company confirmed that orders placed before 30 November would be fulfilled as scheduled. ​It also reminded winners of its Double 11 Festive campaign to redeem their prizes in-store by 8 December, noting that warehouse shipments would cease after this date and no late redemptions would be accepted.​

Online customer service will remain available until 15 December, for post-sales inquiries.

​However, numerous consumers took to social media to complain about issues including missing items, incorrect deliveries, and delayed after-sales responses. On the other hand, amid the nostalgia surrounding the brand’s exit, many netizens shared photos of Etam clothing purchased years ago.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to Etam for a statement.

Don't miss: Triumph to cease operations in Mainland China by year-end

Etam is not the only European brand to exit the Chinese market recently. French lingerie brand Triumph is ending its operations in Mainland China by year end, concluding a presence that spanned over three decades.

This reflects the challenges traditional foreign apparel brands face amid competition from emerging local players, as the market landscape continues to evolve.

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