Apparel retailer Gap announced the opening of its first flagship store in Hong Kong, which is also its ninth store in Greater China.

Located in the Central district of Hong Kong, the new Gap flagship store has four floors and covers an area of over 15,000 square feet. With white marble and Chinese oak flooring, it creates a comfortable shopping environment for customers. Gap's full line of products are available in this new flagship store.

Yang Deming, president for Gap Greater China, said that the opening of the new store in Hong Kong marks an important step for Gap's continuous pursuit, which is to bring the modern American style into China. Based on the sales results they achieved in the e-commerce sector last year, they believe Gap's cost-effective, high quality, and unique American fashion style will gain a large market in Hong Kong.

In the Greater China market, Gap has developed four stores in Shanghai and four in Beijing. Apart from Hong Kong, new Gap stores will be opened in Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Tianjin in the following weeks. In addition, the company launched its Chinese e-commerce website and its products have been sold to over 330 cities across China. The company expects that by the end of the fiscal year 2012, its number of stores in China will increase to 45.

Stephen Sunnucks, president of Gap's international operations, told local media that the company is very optimistic about its entry into Hong Kong and believes it is a natural next step for their expansion strategy in China, especially given its international relevance as a gateway to the fashion world.