Industry Veteran K11 Ex-GM Eric Chan joins Chinese Luxury e-commerce Platform SECOO, with Mission of Leading Global Expansion

BEIJING, March 8, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- SECOO, the largest luxury goods e-commerce platform in China, announced on March 6, 2017, that Eric Chan, former general manager of shopping mall K11, will join the company as CEO of secoo mall, where he will oversee the platform's full portfolio of retail businesses, including the e-commerce platform and the offline experience centers, in addition to business development and management as well as organization building at the divisions responsible for mainland China and overseas markets. 

Eric's over 20 years of experience in the management of high-end commercial properties in both mainland China and Hong Kong earned him the respect and admiration of his peers in the luxury goods industry who anointed him the nickname "the Tripmaster Monkey", one of the names given to the Monkey King, the beloved main character and folk hero in the classical Chinese epic novel Journey to the West. Eric led the construction of the second phase of the International Financial Centre, the 55-floor skyscraper in Hong Kong and eighth tallest office building in the world. He participated in the creation of K11 shopping mall in 2010 and built a reputation by breaking the traditional retail model in the department store industry. In today's digital era, when many department stores are facing closure due to the sluggishness of the traditional retail market, K11 has stood out by combining business with art. The shopping mall has proved itself a model of game-changing innovation in the commercial property community, by virtue of its continuous growth in revenue and increasing awareness among shoppers during the three years that it has been in operation.

Eric likes his nickname "the Tripmaster Monkey" as it fits with his personality of always wanting to be a mover and a shaker. Eric explained, "I guess I like the name as I was born in the year of Monkey and as I am never satisfied with the status quo." Born in Hong Kong in 1968, he was, from a young age, imbued with the sense of pragmatism and professionalism that serves as a badge of honor for the denizens of the dynamic and vibrant city. Eric, who got the nickname as a result of always looking to "break through the mold" and do something different as well as for his perfectionism, has, through his many years in the world of business, been dedicated to putting his ideas into practice.   

Commenting on his joining SECOO, a luxury goods e-commerce platform with a global footprint, Eric sees this as an opportunity for another breakthrough. Founded in 2008, SECOO has a membership of over 15 million high-end customers averaging between 3,000 and 4,000 yuan (US$430-580) per purchase. Eric's experience in the management of high-end commercial properties is a perfect fit for the role at SECOO, where he will be running a high-end e-commerce platform in China. In addition to online e-commerce, SECOO has also opened a series of offline stores to better serve its customers. Shortly after its inception, SECOO opened its first offline luxury experience center and quickly followed suit with similar outlets in Milan, Hong Kong and Malaysia, as well as in other countries and regions. The opportunity was a plus for Eric when he was considering taking on the role. He explained: "It's was a move with a lot of foresight to combine both online and offline business as early as 2008 and then expand them into overseas markets. This is the way retail is headed, and I intend to build on that as part of the direction I plan for the company."

Elaborating further on his future plans, he said "I am delighted to join SECOO. Mobile is redefining the meaning of retail. I hope to bring innovation to this new retail model in the mobile era, and to create a unique global high-end consumption and service platform." Eric plans to lead the transformation of SECOO from a leading luxury goods e-commerce operation to a unique global high-end lifestyle platform, expanding the product categories from traditional luxury goods to emerging lifestyle products, while maximizing the opportunity that can be derived from a high-end cooperation model that expertly and innovatively combines the advantages of the online and offline shopping experience.