Model and actor Daniel Millar at the ribbon-cutting for Urban Revivo's store in London's Covent Garden Courtesy Urban Revivo 2025 is a milestone year for Urban Revivo, the Chinese clothing company founded over a decade ago by Leo Li. Despite the ongoing economic headwinds at home, a depressed global economy, and a trade war with the U.S., the Guangzhou-based chain is defying the odds and sticking to its ambitious goal: to surpass 100 overseas stores within 5 years. On 3 May, it added to that global target with a sleek new space in London’s retail district, Covent Garden. The newly revamped 5,500 sq ft store at 8-12 Neal Street is split across 3 floors, offering a selection of well-designed mens and womenswear ranging from £40 for a floral slip dress in polyester to a men’s linen shirt selling for £90. The London opening follows on the heels of the group’s biggest flagship opening outside of China in February: a New York debut comprising 30,000 square feet in SoHo. Further doors are on track to open in Hong Kong, Tokyo, and the Middle East this yea, including a second location in London at Stratford Westfield. According to Li—Urban Revivo’s current CEO—the company views itself as “a global fashion brand” and has been on a slow but steady expansion plan since 2016, starting with Singapore and Thailand. This is now coming to fruition in the west. While he admits that Europe and the U.S. are the two biggest, highly competitive markets with large customer bases and strong brand loyalty, Urban Vevivo has something invaluable: Perseverance. “We are new, yet we are patient,” he says. The strategy is not just about sales—it’s about building global mindshare, increasing brand equity, and cultivating long-term loyalty across cultures through a mix of franchised and directly operated models. It’s focused the product too, naturally. Just as international names often localize their offering to suit new markets, Urban Revivo—which has existing stores in Singapore, Thailand, and the Philippines—is finding that consumers prefer different items across countries. This has resulted in what Li calls a “test and learn” mindset. Guests at the cocktail opening of Urban Revivo's newest London store. From left, Tia Dewitt, Chloe Butler, and India Lillie Davies. Courtesy Urban Revivo “We want to understand our customer better by closely monitoring what attracts them and seeing what other good quality items we can produce in a fast turnaround,” he continues. The company opened a design center in London in 2024 (it already has one in Guangzhou). These employ over 600 globally from designers to buyers, helping to ensure the directly operated Covent Garden store’s merchandise will be restocked every 2 weeks. The buzzy opening attracted some of the city’s most influential KOLs, including Louis James Powell, content creator Rebecca Olivia, and the model Daniel Millar—who was just back from a trip to Shanghai. “I think it’s amazing to see a company bringing a Chinese style sensibility to the streets of the UK, especially somewhere as iconic for fashion as London’s Covent Garden,” Millar explains at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. In the age of platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Red Note—which can make a brand by removing physical and cultural borders—his point is telling. Due to a shift in mindsets, Urban Revivo is changing the traditional trajectory of Chinese fashion groups, which, when attempting to expand oversees, are often beset with challenges. “Young fashion consumers now care less about where their fashion comes from. Instead, they are interested in brands that suit their style and lifestyle. This is opening up opportunities for brands from China, such as Urban Revivo,” states Tom Nixon, cofounder of Dao Insights. Unlike many of its domestic competitors, Urban Revevio has a solid grasp on what it takes to be a global business. The brick-and-mortar roll-out was bolstered by a global e-commerce launch in 2021 that includes selling on sites like Asos; it is underpinned by an aggressive, on-point digital strategy on western apps. Hardly surprising, then, that over the next 3–5 years, Li is aiming for a growing share of revenue to come from overseas markets with the U.S. and U.K. as top contributors. “While our China business remains a strong foundation, international growth will be a key driver of our long-term trajectory,” he adds. MORE ON FORBES ForbesLondon Fashion Week Sees Return Of Hong Kong DesignersBy Gemma A. WilliamsForbesLuxury House Balenciaga Opens Its Biggest Store In ChinaBy Gemma A. WilliamsForbes3 Perfume Brands To Know From Notes ShanghaiBy Gemma A. Williams Follow me on LinkedIn. Editorial StandardsForbes Accolades