Musinsa enters Malaysia, expands partnership with Indonesia's MAP

Musinsa, a Korean fashion and beauty platform operator, has signed an exclusive distribution agreement to bring its in-house clothing brand Musinsa Standard into Malaysia — its fourth market in Southeast Asia after the Philippines, Indonesia and Vietnam. The company said Monday it signed the deal with PT Mitra Adiperkasa Tbk, commonly known as MAP, the Indonesian retail conglomerate with which Musinsa struck a similar exclusive distribution agreement for Indonesia last month. Musinsa said it chose to expand its partnership with MAP because of the company's retail experience and distribution networks in both countries, and said it would look for further business synergies between the two markets. Malaysia is one of Southeast Asia's major fashion markets, with a large base of consumers with strong purchasing power and well-developed shopping infrastructure, including large malls in the capital, Kuala Lumpur, Musinsa said. The company noted that young, digitally savvy Malaysian consumers actively seek out new brands and fashion trends online, and that demand for Korean fashion and lifesty