Luxury Brands In The UK Are Eyeing China's Upstart.

For hundreds of years, western fashion brand China has always been regarded as cheap. Raw material And the labor market, but in recent months, China has attracted the attention of the fashion industry for its booming economy. Many high profit fashion brands say they want to expand their operations in mainland China.

Vivienne Westwood

Vivienne Westwood says it will open 20 boutiques in China, UK. Old brand Burberry's stores in China will also increase the existing 44 to 66 in 2012. In addition, the US leather goods brand Coach will open 20 retail stores this year, and Italy's handbag and luxury clothing manufacturer Ferragamo also plans to open 10 stores.

James Dorn, a Chinese analyst, said: "when I first came to China in 1988, most people in Shanghai were riding bicycles, wearing crappy clothes, and only a few luxury hotels. Today, Shanghai has become a sophisticated city, where the rich and the growing middle class demand more and more high-end products, homes and cars.

Last month, Marion Cotillard and Chalize Theron, together with John Galliano, creative director of Dior, attended the debut of Dior in Shanghai. Sidney Toledano, President of Dior, said: "the great improvement of China's consumption power is only one aspect. Chinese consumers are becoming more sophisticated. They like to buy products with special marks, which represent the quality and uniqueness of products."

Last year, luxury fashion tycoons (such as LVMH) discovered that their sales of their products increased sharply in the Chinese market, and the Chinese market digested 750 million dollars worth of luxury goods. "We expect retail sales to grow by 16%-18% this year," said Jessica Lo, China's marketing department. According to a report published in McKinsey last autumn, the consumption of the first one hundred cities in China will double from 2008 to 2015.

Jessica Lo added: "China will no longer be seen as a cheap commodity center, where consumers are getting richer and more willing to spend money on shopping. They are very optimistic about the economic situation and their job prospects. 80% of women told us that they would spend more in the next six months than in the past six months. The purchasing power of consumers in medium-sized cities in China, such as Chongqing, is also very optimistic.

Toledano has similar views. He said: "now Shanghai has a very large consumer base, and cities like Guangzhou also have great potential. Surprisingly, so many cities have the potential to become a luxury market. Even in Europe, in Britain, consumers are less interested in luxury goods once they leave London. " It is said that Tom Ford, the former creative director of Gucci, has also targeted the huge market in Shanghai. The shoe brand George Esquivel, based in Losangeles, plans to open its first independent store in Beijing later this year.

Jessica Lo also reminds western brands that they do not think that the tastes of Chinese consumers will be the same as those of Europe and the United States, and that too many Western companies have forgotten the process of localization in the style of their products and advertisements. Those images that resonate in Europe are not necessarily suitable for Chinese consumers. Therefore, selecting products and advertising images suitable for Chinese consumers is very important.

Levi 1; 1; s announced this summer that it will launch a new sub brand specifically for Chinese consumers, and plans to increase the number of shops in China from 20 to 1000 in 2015. Dior has also launched a new theme design for the Chinese market, which is composed of 12 different styles of clothing, the theme design name is "blue series".

Cody Ross, the designer of the avant-garde brand Priestess, who has been selling in China for the three quarter, said: "I can't only have one theme in my design. China is a very large country, so the consumer group is also very complicated. I will adjust the design or profile according to the taste of the locals. For example, I also made cheongsam, which is a traditional costume in Qing Dynasty. It is very quiet and elegant. Many designers have designed similar styles. China is always out of history and Dynasty, which is probably the so-called era plot.