Tag: e-commerce

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” →

Leaders

Takeaways from Farfetch China – Alexis Bonhomme at the China Luxury Summit

The second round of the China Luxury Summit in 2018 was held in Shanghai last week, with highlights including Chloe Reuter – co-founder of The Luxury Conversation – speaking on China’s next-gen luxury travellers, affluent Chinese families.

Presenting insights and learning from Farfetch in China was VP Commercial, Greater China, Alexis Bonhomme, who spoke about the consumer, the successes and the challenges that Farfetch is facing, and key trends for where the market is heading into 2019. Continue reading “Takeaways from Farfetch China – Alexis Bonhomme at the China Luxury Summit” →

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” →

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” →

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: Samantha Shum, Founder of Keiki

Parenting in China is a booming business – the rapid evolution of the modern, affluent Chinese parent and family unit has led to spicy mamas and wonder dads who see no reason why luxury shouldn’t extend to all of the family.

For any baby, child or family brand looking to conceive a China strategy and thrive here, competition is fierce. In last month’s CBME Shanghai alone, there were literally thousands of such brands all hopeful to eventually grow in China, but first simply access their target consumer and tell their own brand story. Continue reading “5 Questions with: Samantha Shum, Founder of Keiki” →

Trends

Op-Ed: China’s KOL Bubble, and How Brands Can Prepare
By Nick Withycombe

Yes, I said it: China’s KOL bubble.

KOLs have become a solid part of any brand’s checklist when operating in China. To be frank, if that needs further explanation then you’re already a few years behind the curve: KOLs in China are examples of many aspects of modern society here – when a concept is taken from the west (influencers, in this case) and is super-charged into massive earning and income potential. You might even say ‘enhanced capitalism’, but now is not the time to go into that.

KOLs are more influential on both consumption behaviours and social trends than celebrity movie stars and singers. There are Chinese KOLs for any type of field you can imagine – not only fashion and sports, but there are travel KOLs, pet KOLs, even ‘park & garden KOLs‘. With a population this big and country this diverse, there’s something for everyone.

Yet, is there now over-reliance on the KOL as a silver bullet? More than that, are certain ‘China marketing/business experts’ guilty of reducing KOL marketing to mere advertising of budget = views theorem? Continue reading “Op-Ed: China’s KOL Bubble, and How Brands Can Prepare” →

Event, Leaders

WeChat’s Next-Gen: ‘WeLife’ Previewed at China Connect, Shanghai 2018

The Luxury Conversation attended China Connect’s Shanghai 2018 edition, which featured expert speakers talking about what’s currently at the tip of the spear of engagement with China’s consumers. A wide-ranging and insightful event, attended by over 300 people, China Connect was held at The Explorium on Yishan Road.

Among the engaging talks was that by Sophia Ong, GM of Strategic Partner & Key Account at Tencent, in which Sophia spoke about the well-known (let’s go ahead and call it God-like) power of WeChat and the Tencent eco-system.

Sophia’s presentation clarified that luxury brands need to quickly maximise their WeChat adoption and adaptation in order to keep up with the expectations of the Chinese consumer. Here are the key takeaways from the talk – with a thrilling preview into the next generation of WeChat commerce capabilities: WeLife. Continue reading “WeChat’s Next-Gen: ‘WeLife’ Previewed at China Connect, Shanghai 2018” →

Leaders

5 Questions with: Richard Li, Founder & CEO of Secoo, China’s Leading Premium E-Commerce & Lifestyle Platform

Last month, Secoo held a brand upgrade press conference, to announce their new slogan – ‘Devoted to You’ and to introduce the brand’s expansion plans. Already the leading premium lifestyle platform with over 25% market share, these bold new plans centred on customisation – unique collaborations with Chinese designers and talents, personalisation – high-end travel and personalised education packages, rental – a seven-day luxury bags and watches service, as well as partnerships and co-branding aimed at diversifying Secoo into new products and offline, social experiences. Continue reading “5 Questions with: Richard Li, Founder & CEO of Secoo, China’s Leading Premium E-Commerce & Lifestyle Platform” →