Charles and Keith Enterprise Award

SBA 2009 Enterprise of the Year Award Charles & Keith (International) Pte Ltd Background From young, both Mr Charles Wong and Mr Keith Wong worked in their parents' shoe shop at Ang Mo Kio Central. Realising that foreign shoes were expensive and ill-fitting for the small feet of Asian women, and armed with some savings, they started their eponymous shoe label - Charles & Keith where fashionable and trendy shoes are sold at affordable prices. The very first Charles & Keith store opened in Amara Shopping Centre in 1996. Four more stores were added within two years. Charles & Keith saw the opportunities in overseas markets and expanded its global network. To date, there are 160 Charles & Keith stores are located in the prominent shopping districts across the world in 22 major cities like Cairo, Jakarta, Dubai, Manila, Kuala Lumpur and Ho Chi Minh. The overseas business interests of Charles & Keith worldwide is managed by the Charles & Keith International division and guided by its franchise model while Japan and Taiwan are served by the distributors. Dedicated to the young and trendy, Charles & Keith develops and produces a distinctive line of designs that caters to market sentiments. The R&D team regularly travels to fashion cities such as Milan, Paris and London to study and understand the latest fashion trends, designs and merchandising. To keep prices affordable, Charles & Keith uses polyurethane and other synthetic materials. The manufacturing plants are stationed in Malaysia and China. The company planned to hit $96 million in year 2008, though actual sales was above $97 million. Achievements Charles & Keith provides fashionable footwear and accessories for consumer who takes pride in their appearance and appreciate anything that is fresh and fashionable. Today it is a major household name in Singapore. With the success of Charles & Keith in Singapore, the company embarked on its international venture in 2000 and now has a presence in 22 countries. A year later,