Rediscovering Regatta: A retail reinvention in the works

MANILA, Philippines - In today’s highly competitive retail landscape, successful brands know that the goal isn’t just to survive but to thrive. While the majority resorts to cost cutting, staff layoffs and similar clampdowns to ride out the tough business climate, only real retail mavericks are savvy enough to play a bigger game. And that game is called reinvention.

Golden ABC, Inc. is one such homegrown trailblazer. It is the company behind the phenomenal successes of proudly Filipino fashion brands Penshoppe, Oxygen, Memo, ForMe and fast-rising direct-selling brand Red Logo. In a bold business move amidst such uncertain economic times, Golden ABC recently acquired a new addition to its stable of brands. “In Golden ABC’s history, all our businesses were born during challenging years,“ says CEO, Bernie Liu. “Even in the midst of difficult economic conditions, Golden ABC continues to search for growth opportunities and seize them with little hesitation,” he adds. Boasting two decades of retail triumphs in the local market, Golden ABC is now channeling their expertise in reinventing and growing its latest acquisition: iconic leisure wear brand Regatta.

Regatta was established by prominent Manila entrepreneurs Lizzie Zobel and Mia Borromeo in 1989. It soon became the local go-to brand for preppy chic apparel, becoming synonymous with timeless style and relaxed sophistication. Regatta built a loyal and exclusive clientele who sought its classic, comfortable cuts throughout the years even as it changed hands in 2003. The brand was sold to Melissa Dragon-Florendo, Carissa Cruz, Michelle Castillo, Annette Gozon-Abrogar and Tricia Tarriela – five women who became fast friends as graduate students in Boston.

This year, Regatta joins Golden ABC’s portfolio of proprietary brands and is poised for reinvention at the hands of a retail master. “We wanted to entrust the brand to a retailer who has the vision to expand the brand while keeping its image intact,” says Melissa Dragon-Florendo, one of the five women who took over Regatta in 2003.

The “new” Regatta takes the brand’s trademarks – its premium imaging, nautical-inspired preppy chic aesthetic, and high product quality – and introduces it to a new market. This will be more evident in the new locations that Golden ABC is negotiating for the brand’s new stores. Regatta’s four existing stores are located in Greenbelt 3, Glorietta 3, Ayala Center Cebu and Trinoma; the coming months will see an aggressive rollout of stores across the country. Once a predominantly female brand, Regatta now also addresses the apparel needs of the male market.

However, it’s not all about beefing up the brand’s range of products. Streamlining the product mix is part of the reinvention. From a brand that offered officewear, the revamped Regatta focuses solely on offering a complete range of leisure wear for professionals who work hard and play harder. Says Albert Ong, VP for Marketing at Golden ABC: “Longtime Regatta customers can expect the revitalized Regatta to be true to its product design philosophy of providing casual apparel and accessories with preppy chic appeal that perfectly suits their leisurely lifestyle.”

Regatta’s corporate outlook may be new, and its strategy of reinvention may be a bold move in these difficult times. But by maintaining the same high-quality merchandise and time-tested, classic style, this iconic and now revitalized brand gives loyal customers even more reasons to rediscover Regatta.