Economy

Luxury products win mass appeal

By Bao Chang (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-08-02 09:08

Since 2007, Printemps has sought to improve its shopping environment. The mall refurbished its historical facade. For Chinese clients, they created guest relation services, hands-free shopping and personal shoppers.

This year, Printemps will launch a Chinese version of its website to help Chinese customers to prepare before visiting the mall.

"The pleasure of being and buying in Paris is very significant for Chinese customers. They are happy to share their unique travel and shopping experiences with friends and family," said Schenten.

According to Printemps, 30 percent of a typical Chinese tourist's travel budget goes on shopping. In the first half of this year, Chinese customers spent an average of 1,750 euros each in the mall, 13 percent higher than the same period last year.

Schenten also said that shopping represented one of the most important activities for Chinese customers while traveling. For US tourists in the French capital, food is one of the main attractions.

The Chinese not only buy for themselves; they also buy gifts for family, friends and colleagues.

Zhang Yanqi, a 33-year old Chinese entrepreneur who has just returned from a fruitful trip to Paris, said: "I bought five Louis Vuitton purses for my friends as gifts. They will be very happy," he said.

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Wang Yun, a 22-year old human resources officer with an overseas company, was surprised to see a Cartier ring on the Kaixin 001.com social networking website. "I was surprised to see Kaixin having advertisements for luxury goods such as Cartier. I like the ring very much and I want to buy it," she said, while worrying about the cost.

Wang is not unusual. An increasing number of Chinese people, including white-collar workers and other middle-class groups, are buying luxury goods to reward themselves.

As a result, many traditional luxury brands are changing their business strategies to lure them, eschewing exclusivity and welcoming the new source of income.

During the Shanghai 2010 Expo, France, the country famous for its luxury goods, erected a luxury goods store near the country's pavilion. Unlike the boutiques selling luxury brands in Beijing and Shanghai, where sales clerks wear classy uniforms and often look smarter than their customers, the expo store has a more relaxed atmosphere. As well as stocking several expensive French perfumes, it sells one at what many consider to be a reasonable 188 yuan.

Chanel and Prada also launched special products in connection with the expo. One of Chanel's is a handbag shaped like a Chinese food takeaway carton.