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YOHO

eCommerce & Marketplaces · Nanjing City, China · Founded 2005

YOHO! Group operates as a multifaceted street-style and fashion conglomerate targeting China's youth. Founded in 2005 by Liang Chao, a former television station director, the company began its journey as a print publication, "YOHO! Trends," to serve a growing interest in streetwear culture. Recognizing the need for a community space, Liang launched the online portal YOHO.cn, which evolved into the e-commerce platform YOHO! BUY in 2008 after observing that consumers struggled to purchase the brands featured in the media. Today, the business generates the vast majority of its revenue from this retail segment. The company's business model is an integrated ecosystem combining media, retail, and events. This structure includes content platforms like the magazines YOHO!Boy and YOHO!Girl, the e-commerce site YOHO! BUY, and the major offline tradeshow Yo'hood, which has become a significant fashion event in Shanghai since its inception in 2013. The target demographic consists of consumers aged 16 to 35. YOHO! has expanded its physical retail presence with the flagship Yoho!Store in Nanjing, a 5,000-square-meter space, and smaller format stores called Yoho!Blu. This omnichannel approach merges online and offline experiences, incorporating features like in-store WeChat mini-programs and RFID-powered smart fitting rooms. To further support the industry, YOHO! established an incubation program called Yo'Hope, designed to assist emerging designers with funding and supply chain management. The company has secured significant investment over its lifetime, raising a total of $195 million across six funding rounds from investors such as C Ventures, CDH Investments, and SAIF Partners. This funding has been directed towards enhancing its omnichannel strategy and exploring new business models. While the company experienced rapid growth, reports in 2021 indicated financial difficulties stemming from an asset-heavy model and increased competition. Keywords: Chinese streetwear, youth fashion, e-commerce, fashion media, omnichannel retail, YOHO! BUY, Yo'hood, Liang Chao, fashion trade show, designer incubator, online retail, fashion magazine, Nanjing, street culture, C Ventures, digital media, brand incubation, youth marketing, fashion platform, lifestyle app