The IFC Mall in Shanghai’s Lujiazui Financial District. (Shutterstock) While China’s ongoing luxury market slowdown has hit sales in the country’s shopping centers this year, a new report by real estate investment firm CBRE argues that China’s rapidly growing middle class is set to propel significant retail expansion over the next 10 years. Entitled “The…
Category: Fashion
Ferragamo Fends Off China’s Luxury Slowdown With 20 Percent Retail Growth
Ferragamo’s special-edition Chinese New Year handbag for the year of the horse. (Ferragamo) Although China’s crackdown on official gifting placed a major dent in the country’s luxury sales growth in 2013, Salvatore Ferragamo S.p.A.’s just-released year-end financial results demonstrate that it’s possible for some brands to avoid the trend. According to Ferragamo’s preliminary consolidated revenue…
Ask Hung Huang | Commercial Christmas in China
Christmas decor mixed with a Star Wars promotion at the IAPM mall in Shanghai, China on December 6, 2015. (Shutterstock) With elaborate Christmas trees on display in malls and hotels across China, it’s clear that the holiday has taken hold as a prime marketing opportunity despite its foreign origins. To get some more details on…
Literalist Year of the Dog Luxury Items Mocked Online
Limited edition holiday products can be an effective way of marketing to luxury buyers in the lead up to Chinese New Year, but in recent years, the designs have garnered criticism from Chinese media, social influencers, and consumers. Many feel that foreign designers don’t understand how to incorporate traditional Chinese elements and zodiac animals in…
British Footwear Designer Rupert Sanderson Defies Slowdown with China Expansion
Rupert Sanderson’s new Hong Kong location. (Courtesy Photo) Far from intimidated by a decrease in spending and traffic from mainland China, British footwear designer Rupert Sanderson opened his fourth location in Hong Kong this week at the swish Landmark shopping center. This store joins others in China at Harbour City and Elements Mall, as well…
LVMH-Owned DFS Group Unveils T Galleria Hong Kong
DFS’ T Galleria location in Hong Kong. (Jenny Gao) Last week, the world’s leading luxury travel retailer DFS Group installed the new T Galleria—a rebranding first unveiled in September at its Waikiki location—to its three downtown stores in Hong Kong. In a celebration taking place in both its founding city and global headquarters, the LVMH-owned…
Interview: French Fashion Legend Maria Luisa Makes Foray Into China
The rise of the multi-brand concept dominated conversations on luxury retail in China in 2013. However, the spotlight focused mainly on the arrival of the big department stores: 10 Corso Como, Lane Crawford, and Galeries Lafayette, which all opened new flagships in China within the last three months. Slipping somewhat under the radar was the…
WeChat Blogger Mr. Bags Teams Up With Strathberry for Zodiac Capsule Collection
Luxury brands have long been releasing their one-off Zodiac-themed collections targeted at the Chinese market during the Spring Festival shopping season, but in many cases, the designs simply don’t click with consumers. This year, Chinese blogger and handbag guru Mr. Bags teamed up with Scotland-based label Strathberry to create a capsule collection for his followers…
Swarovski Taps Korean Wave to Attract Chinese Shoppers
Korean boy band star Taeyang of Big Bang wears a Swarovski-studded shirt by A Bathing Ape. (Weibo/_BBmusic) Perhaps looking for a boost in China, where it currently operates dozens of stores nationwide, Austrian fashion jewelry maker Swarovski is looking to take advantage of the Korean wave that has long swept East and Southeast Asia. Taking…
5 Million Outbound Chinese Tourists Give Asian Retailers Happy New Year
Shoppers in Tokyo’s Ginza district, which saw an upsurge in duty-free sales over Chinese New Year. (Shutterstock) As international travel and shopping abroad become increasingly popular over the Chinese New Year holiday period, the China Tourism Academy reports that more than 5 million Chinese tourists ventured outside the country for the recently concluded vacation week…