This Friday, July 25^th, Sweet Corn Co Ltd opens its second store, which will be located in Taipei, Taiwan. We catch up with Mike Neo, who helms the store’s brand development and PR. 

By this Friday, you would have opened two Sweet Corn stores in Taiwan. Why Taiwan?
We are looking to expand our business to Shanghai by 2015, nevertheless we will always consider Taiwan our home ground. This is where all customers first got to know us.

What can we anticipate ahead of the second store’s opening this Friday?
Customers who make a purchase in our store qualify for a lucky draw, in which we will be giving away four pairs of Nike Foamposite (Supreme).

How has the reception been since the opening of your first store in Taichung, Taiwan, in 2012?
Although we started as a small shop, we are getting good support from all around. It is definitely a very competitive market out there, but our online business remains our stronghold, and that has led to where we are today.

Sweet Corn Co Ltd is a pretty unique name for a shop. What’s the story behind it?
The original founder of the company is Chen Yu Min. We used to joke about his name and gave him the nickname “sweetcorn” as it sounds similar to the Chinese word for “corn” (yu mi; 玉米).

Besides sneakers, what other stuff is sold at Sweet Corn Co Ltd?
Our store’s main focus is definitely footwear. We also carry apparel, toy figurines and lifestyle products.

What is your vision for Sweet Corn Co Ltd in the coming months?
We have plans to open a third, larger store in Taichung around October 2014 and a fourth store in Kao Hsiung by end of 2014.

We’ve seen the beginnings of a streetwear line by Sweet Corn Co Ltd. Give us a glimpse into what we can expect in the near future.
We’ve had the honor of working with artist Visualterrorist (Singapore) since last December. We have launched products like hoodies and t-shirts. In celebration of our second store, we will be starting our own line of apparel and engage in more collaborations with other brands. We hope to collaborate with local music artists to raise the profile of our brand, as well as to champion talented artists.

Sneaker culture differs from country to country. Tell us more about the Taiwanese sneaker market and collectors.
As Taiwan is a country with a huge population, the demand for sneakers there is higher than in countries like Singapore and Malaysia. And that means allocation of stocks within the country is also much higher. Another observation is that the Taiwanese are very much influenced by basketball culture.

How has your sneaker collection progressed since the last time we interviewed you?
It has been a great journey of collecting for me so far. Given that I am part of a team that runs a footwear businesses, buying shoes is easy for me. I am moving towards getting exclusive and autographed shoes to add into my collection. Earlier this year, I managed to purchase the 1 of 37 Air Jordan 1 BHM “Just Don” and the Nike Doernbecher Dunk High SB autographed by Finnigan Mooney.

Which kicks (released or upcoming) are your most coveted this year?
Maybe the Air Jordan XX9 and the Air Jordan VI Black Infrared? But you never know.

Sweet Corn Co Ltd 
1F., No. 1, Aly. 3, Ln. 133
Chengdu Road, Wanhua District
Taipei City 108, Taiwan

For more information, follow Sweet Corn Co Ltd on Facebook

Photos courtesy of Sweet Corn Co Ltd