Analysis

From Ming to Minimal: The Evolution of Luxury Design in China
By Jiaqi Luo and Nick Withycombe

Anyone living in China circa 2000-2010 would have seen a couple of tried and true design trends for luxury homes and the wealthy owners thereof. Or to be more precise, anyone living in China from around 1644-2005 would have seen the Qing and Ming dynasties being faithfully replicated with ‘mahogany’ as the answer to every design question. From 2005-2010, it was pan-European gold and chandeliers – many, many chandeliers that swept the nation. Continue reading “From Ming to Minimal: The Evolution of Luxury Design in China” →

Reports

A Pivotal Year for Luxury in China: The Luxury Conversation in London, Feb 2019

In challenging times, how can brands stay ahead in the world’s largest luxury market? That was the question posed at our Luxury Conversation talk, held at Harrods, London, on the 7th of February in front of an invitation-only audience of senior figures at leading global brands, groups and media. Continue reading “A Pivotal Year for Luxury in China: The Luxury Conversation in London, Feb 2019” →

Event

London Breakfast Briefing, Feb 7th: China’s Pivotal Year Ahead and How Luxury Brands Can Win in Challenging Times

With 2018 sales figures of luxury brands demonstrating successful growth and 45% of luxury spending set to come from China by 2025, the region still represents the largest opportunity for luxury brands.

Yet with a shifting economic landscape and new, fragmented consumer demographics, what must luxury brands know in order to win? Continue reading “London Breakfast Briefing, Feb 7th: China’s Pivotal Year Ahead and How Luxury Brands Can Win in Challenging Times” →

Tips

Safety and Prestige Driving Natural and Organic Beauty Demand in China
By Amanda Lim

Chinese luxury consumers are seeking out natural and organic personal care products for the sake of safety, and the allure of prestige.

Along with the rising trend towards eco-friendliness, health and wellness in Chinese society, the demand for “clean” beauty products will continue to rise, said Lee Folland, Head of Research at Reuter Communications, a luxury intelligence, digital, communications and marketing agency. Continue reading “Safety and Prestige Driving Natural and Organic Beauty Demand in China” →

Analysis

Domestic Luxury Chinese Travel: Uncovering the Booming Industry’s Trends

The enormous numbers of domestic Chinese travel are no secret – hotel brands are investing heavily in their China portfolio. At this point we could list the big names opening and building new hotels in China – Rosewood, W, Banyan Tree, Bvlgari, Conrad, Waldorf and more – but one stat tells the story: the total China construction pipeline stands at 2,523 hotels with 556,645 rooms. Continue reading “Domestic Luxury Chinese Travel: Uncovering the Booming Industry’s Trends” →

Leaders

5 Questions with: Xia Ding, President, JD International Fashion & Head of Toplife

Joining one of China’s largest e-commerce platforms, JD.com in 2017 after a career leading both online and offline retail as VP with Nielsen, Xia Ding became President of JD International Fashion and Head of Toplife in 2018. Toplife, launched at the end of 2017, is JD’s stand-alone luxury platform which allows luxury brands to set up flagship online stores, delivering a high-end service to its users.

We spoke to Xia Ding at JD’s Shanghai base about their first year’s growth and future plans. Continue reading “5 Questions with: Xia Ding, President, JD International Fashion & Head of Toplife” →

Forecasts

The China Luxury Market in 2019 – 5 Things to Look For
By Nick Withycombe

China’s unique and continually evolving market creates exciting opportunities. Rather than try any crystal-ball predictions, here’s my summary of what this year can show us about the next, and what to look out for. Continue reading “The China Luxury Market in 2019 – 5 Things to Look For” →