Luxury Brands Innovative Retail Concepts in China

To keep up with the rapidly growing Chinese economy and the changing preferences of the Chinese consumers buying luxury goods, luxury brands are coming up with innovative ways to increase sales in China. This includes setting up restaurants and café’s in luxury stores so customers can have the full brand experience. Below are three brands which are coming up with out of the box design concepts, in order to cater to the Chinese consumer.

Gucci

Gucci has recently opened its first restaurant in Shanghai, 1921 Gucci, named after the year the brand was founded. It is located on the fourth floor of the popular IAPM luxury shopping mall and can only be accessed by an elevator from the Gucci Store. Gucci has joined other luxury brands in the decision to open a food and beverage establishment at select locations around the world. Gucci previously opened two coffee houses, one in Florence and the other in Tokyo. Many brands, including Gucci are trying to create new ways to promote their brand in the ever-changing Chinese luxury goods market. The new restaurant in Shanghai chooses to serve Tuscan-inspired food to represent the brands heritage in Italy. The restaurant was designed to represent the Gucci experience. This glimpse of the Gucci ‘lifestyle’ will increase interaction with consumers and hopefully attract new customers to the brand, increasing the sales of fashion products.

The retail design of the restaurant was intended to reflect the brand’s iconic style, with elegant interiors, including dark wood, velvet seats and gold accents on the tabletops. The brands logo can also be found on the napkins, silverware and cutlery.

Vivienne Westwood

Vivienne Westwood is another brand that has chosen to increase its revenue in the Chinese market, as well as consumer interaction by opening a food and drink establishment. The Vivienne Westwood café is located in Shanghai in the K11 Art Mall.

The retail design of the café, inside the shop, is divided in to two areas – an 18th century tearoom and a shooting studio concept. The Wallace Collection, from a stately home London museum, inspires the 18th century French paintings depicted on the wallpaper in the team room. The vintage chandelier and furniture also add to the feel of an old century tearoom. The studio concept room has a suspended white backdrop, with Vivienne Westwood’s logo on it, designed to create the modern ‘studio’ feel. The two areas are separated by a glass partition, which features a 13-hour “World’s End” clock, with hands that move anticlockwise. This is a reminder of Vivienne Westwood’s World’s End London store, which has a 13-hour clock hung outside. Vivienne Westwood’s signature tartan design is also featured on all the tea sets and tins.

Bulgari

Bulgari has gone one step further to increase its brand by setting up hotels in different locations around the world. Bulgari already has hotels in Milan, Bali and London. New Bulgari hotels are scheduled to be built in both Shanghai and Beijing by 2017. The Shanghai hotel is to be in the uppermost 12 floors of a 40-story building located in the historic Zhabei district. The Beijing hotel will be located in the exclusive embassy district, near the trendy fashion quarter of Sanlitun. However, the retail design of the new hotels in China will differ slightly from the European outposts, instead reflecting local style with traditional oriental themes combined with design patterns from western architecture.