Tips

How Luxury Car Brands Capture Their Customer with WeChat Mini Programs
By Lionel Sim

As has been made crystal clear thus far – it’s China leading luxury. China is also bossing it in the world of luxury automotive, accounting for almost 90% of the sales growth for leading luxury automakers in 2017.

China made up 27% of overall sales, three percentage points more than in 2016, and the number of luxury cars sold in China rose 17%, compared to the rest of the world according to a report from Nikkei Asian Review. Continue reading “How Luxury Car Brands Capture Their Customer with WeChat Mini Programs” →

Event

The Luxury Conversation ‘Nights’: Shanghai’s Luxury Industry Mixer, Nov 22, M Glam on the Bund

Mingle, meet and connect with top people from luxury brands, agencies and media at Shanghai’s sophisticated networking event at M Glam, on Thursday November the 22nd. Continue reading “The Luxury Conversation ‘Nights’: Shanghai’s Luxury Industry Mixer, Nov 22, M Glam on the Bund” →

Tips

How Luxury Brands Win in Double 11; Exclusivity – and Simplicity
By Jiaqi Luo and Nick Withycombe

You’ll have noticed that we didn’t opt for a shout-y ‘big numbers’ headline that conveys no other information than China has a large population and many people bought many things. Whether hundreds of millions of people were buying billions of RMB of items or not (they were) is no simple bell-whether for strategy. In fact, luxury brands need to tread carefully during the sales mania of Double 11.

The most consumerist baby on Earth was conceived by Alibaba in 2009. If you’re new, then it’s called ‘singles’ day’ and falls on the 11th of November, with 11/11 marking out the ‘1’ of dreaded singledom into a hyped shopping fest. Now, it even has a reasonably nauseating ‘gala’ with colourful lighting and whichever western star is paid the most to perform in front of baying masses. This year it was Mariah Carey. Continue reading “How Luxury Brands Win in Double 11; Exclusivity – and Simplicity” →

Analysis

The Forbes China Nanjing Rd Forum – Development of International Business Districts
By Lee Folland

Timed this year to coincide with the China International Import Exhibition (CIIE), Shanghai’s central commercial district Jing’an held the 11th Forbes China Jing’an Nanjing Road Forum on November the 7th, entitled ‘The Development of Business District Under a New and Open Structure’.

Chloe Reuter, CEO of Reuter Communications and co-Founder of The Luxury Conversation, spoke at the event alongside government officials, businesses and representatives from leading business districts around the world. Continue reading “The Forbes China Nanjing Rd Forum – Development of International Business Districts” →

Event

5 Top Takeaways from ILTM China 2018: Luxury Chinese Travellers’ Evolving Expectations

The first China-specific edition of ILTM wrapped up last week, proving to be a genuinely successful event for connecting luxury travel brands with agencies and travel planners.

The Luxury Conversation partnered with ILTM to produce a China Insight Report – Next-Gen Luxury Travellers: Affluent Chinese Families.

Purchase that report here.

Having attended the keynote speech by Chloe Reuter, CEO of Reuter Communications and co-Founder of The Luxury Conversation, as well as the opening morning talks and event, we heard about key trends and ideas vital for any travel business to know. Continue reading “5 Top Takeaways from ILTM China 2018: Luxury Chinese Travellers’ Evolving Expectations” →

Reports

China Insight Report: Next-Gen Luxury Travellers – Affluent Chinese Families

The travel hopes and dreams of one of the most important demographics for luxury hospitality globally are finally revealed in The Luxury Conversation’s China Insight Report:

Next-Gen Luxury Travellers: Affluent Chinese Families.

Continue reading “China Insight Report: Next-Gen Luxury Travellers – Affluent Chinese Families” →

Leaders

5 Questions with: Toby Smith, MD of Swire Hotels

Swire Hotels was created to manage soulfully individual hotels in China and the USA, providing a characterful experience for well-travelled, individually minded travellers who seek originality, style and personalised service. Their hotels offer a sense of place that breaks with convention. Currently, Swire Hotels includes The House Collective – The Opposite House, The Upper House, The Temple House and The Middle House, in Beijing, Hong Kong, Chengdu and Shanghai respectively – and the EAST hotels in Beijing, Hong Kong and Miami. Continue reading “5 Questions with: Toby Smith, MD of Swire Hotels” →

Leaders

5 Questions with: Pierre Marcolini – on Chocolate, China and Niche Luxury

The recent growth and mouth-watering potential for chocolate brands in China is similar to many forms of luxury. Chocolate is something that was rare (and ‘Western’) even in the early 2000s, yet remains an alluring luxury today – while still subject to distinctly local palettes that generally dislike desserts or tastes that are allegedly ‘too sweet’.

If we start getting into pure overall numbers then, unsurprisingly for China, they are huge and rising. But in real terms, it’s clear that chocolate is seeding its natural brilliance (The Luxury Conversation openly stating a strong positive bias for chocolate) throughout first-tier cities. As with any market, China’s room for growth is where chocolatier brands need to explore.

One brand – one person – who is sowing the beans and reaping the rewards is the beloved Pierre Marcolini, already with three stores and a loyal following in China. Continue reading “5 Questions with: Pierre Marcolini – on Chocolate, China and Niche Luxury” →

Event

Luxury Symposium, Hong Kong Nov 5: Greater Bay, a New Playground for Luxury Brands?

The Luxury Conversation is a partner of the French Chamber of Hong Kong’s Luxury Symposium, which will be on Monday November the 5th, 2018.

Join us at the recently opened K11 Atelier at Victoria Dockside for a half day conference + cocktail event, with key players from the luxury industry in Hong Kong.

The theme this time round is Greater Bay Area: a new playground for luxury brands? and will focus on the following main topics:

  • The Greater Bay Area project: What’s in store for Hong Kong?
  • Chinese travellers: How to engage them and retain them
  • New retail: Is tech the new black?
  • Sustainability: Transparency, traceability and the new consumer mindset

Speakers include:

  • Alexis Bonhomme, Farfetch China
  • Rob Koepp, The Economist Corporate Network
  • Cissy Chan, Hong Kong International Airport
  • Meili Lee, China Duty Free Group
  • Karlyn Adams, BSR
  • Charlotte Judet, Kering
  • Myriam Djela, Ipsos

Register on their website to attend.

Event

SHFW: Fashion Trailblazers – Stories from the Frontline of Chinese Design
By Susan Owens

In Paris, Milan and London fashion designers are typically seen – but not heard. Their first priority is to sell clothes.

But in a new initiative during Shanghai Fashion Week (SHFW) three of China’s most successful designers shared their individual fashion journeys in a public forum, Fashion Trailblazers: Stories from the Frontline of Chinese Design.

The trio, Grace Chen (Grace Chen Couture); Hai Lin (Particle Fever) and Jianxia Yin (UOOYAA) all had one thing in common – commercial success. But that’s where their stories had ended. Continue reading “SHFW: Fashion Trailblazers – Stories from the Frontline of Chinese Design” →