Luxury Industry Insights & Best Practices in China Market December 2023

In December, top luxury brands focused on the following key themes: Unwavering Popularity of Skiing, and Luxury Brands Embrace the Christmas Season.

Overview

Curio Eye™ Brand Index: Top 10 best performing brands

The Top 3 best-performing brands in December were Louis Vuitton, PRADA, and GUCCI.

The buzz from the Louis Vuitton Men’s Pre-Fall 2024 Show in Hong Kong continued in December with brand ambassador TNT’s social videos. The Brand’s new release - the SPEEDY P9 handbag also gained attention driven by promotions by brand ambassadors and celebrities.

The “Pradashere II” exhibition hosted by Prada in Shanghai has sparked wide discussions. The exhibition showcased the brand's 110-year history, and during the opening event, numerous celebrities were invited to join.

Gucci launched the 2024 CNY collection featuring the element of a red dragon, coinciding with the arrival of the Chinese New Year. In addition, Gucci invited global brand ambassador Xiao Zhan to promote the Horsebit 1953 loafers through an advertising campaign.

Lanvin, Bally, and Moncler have also launched the 2024 CNY Collection in December. Balenciaga has climbed 3 places in the ranking thanks to its Fall 2024 show, while Dior dropped out of the top three in December.

Luxury Industry Trends

Unwavering Popularity of Skiing

Amongst the trend-seeking Generation Z, skiing has become one of the socially-oriented sports.
Ski-specific equipment and apparel, with their avant-garde design, have gained widespread popularity through social media, making skiing a hot trend for luxury brands.

1 Data Source: Tmall

2 Data Source: Ctrip

Strategies for Brands to Enter the Skiing Market

UNVEIL SKIING COLLECTIONS

With the promotion of winter sports in China, skiing as a high-end activity attracts the participation of luxury brand clientele.
As winter approaches, many brands are banking on the popularity of skiing. They are launching new ski apparel and equipment, as well as collaborating with professional sports brands to attract a wider range of professional skiers and enthusiasts.

Image Source: Fendi, Balenciaga, Prada, Dior Official WeChat

POP-UPS AT SKI RESORTS AND CITY CENTERS

Brands are capitalizing on the popularity of winter sports by setting up pop-up stores or artistic installations in high-traffic areas such as ski resorts and city centers.
This attracts people to take photos and share them on social media platforms, thereby generating publicity.

NEW MARKETING TACTICS

Balenciaga unveiled a special interactive game on WeChat for its first ski collection, Skiwear, allowing users to choose Balenciaga skiwear and immerse themselves in the skiing atmosphere through an interactive game.

Luxury Brands Embrace the Christmas Season

With the booming holiday economy, luxury brands leveraged consumers' desire for "ceremonial experiences” to unveil holiday gifts, making Christmas a hot consumer trend.
Through embellished boutiques with distinctive decorations, luxury brands transformed them into popular social media "check-in" destinations. Through the widespread reach of social media, brands are able to amplify their presence, shape brand image, and convey brand culture effectively.

GIFTS FOR THE CHRISTMAS SEASON

Luxury powerhouses like Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Dior, and other brands showcased their gift offerings through official websites and social media platforms, accompanied by captivating advertising campaigns.

ONLINE IMMERSIVE SHOPPING EXPERIENCE

Tmall Luxury unveiled the 3D “云奢广场" allowing users to explore brand stores (like Bvlgari, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Qeelin, etc.) and join digital activities such as: illuminate Christmas trees, unlock wallpapers and virtual try-ons.

COMBINE BRAND ELEMENTS TO CREATE A DISTINCTIVE OFFLINE PRESENTATION

Chanel installed a Christmas tree at MixC World in Shenzhen with giant Christmas gift boxes placed nearby. The brand also opened Chanel Wonderland at Capitol Centre in Causeway Bay.
Dior Cruise 2024 Show featured butterfly elements. This Christmas, golden butterflies embellished Dior boutiques in cities like Shanghai and Chengdu. The brand also unveiled a Christmas tree at K11Musea.
Gucci held Christmas tree lighting ceremonies in Milan and Beijing, featuring a tree composed of 78 gift boxes sealed with Gucci's iconic Horsebit buckle. The Horsebit adorned boutiques at Beijing SKP and Shenzhen Luohu MixC as well.

COLLABORATIONS WITH HIGH-END HOTELS

Louis Vuitton set up a unique Christmas tree made of luggage trunks in the lobby of The Rosewood Hong Kong, accompanied by the brand's mascot, Vivienne.
Chanel embellished the façade of The Peninsula Hong Kong and the boutique at The Peninsula Beijing with a necklace, composed of the brand's logo, butterfly bow, and black and white pearls.

Campaign Best Practices

Burberry "格外宠爱" Campaign

OVERVIEW

Partnered with RED, from December 1st to December 25th, Burberry launched the “格外宠爱” campaign for 2023 Holiday. Participants can

Take a city walk to visit specified 10 pet-friendly stores decorated with Burberry key visuals in Shanghai and take photos with pets;
Enter a lucky draw by engaging in interactive tasks on the dedicated “格外宠爱” H5 page on RED;
Access to Burberry's limited-time stickers on RED.

CURIOSITY SPOTLIGHT

Pets Economy

China's pet economy industry reached 493.6 billion yuan in 2022, with a remarkable 25.2% YoY growth, and was projected to reach 811.4 billion yuan by 2025(1).
Burberry strategically targets pet-loving consumers (especially Gen-Z) through its choice of unconventional models – ducks and dogs for key visuals and collaborations with pet-friendly stores for city walk check-in points.

City Walk Lifestyle Trend

The search volume for City Walk on RED experienced an astounding growth of over 30 times compared to the previous year in H1 2023, and pets ranked third among the companions on City Walk(2).
Burberry's partnership with RED leveraged the hot trend, utilizing the influential power of social media to promote campaigns and amplify brand visibility, reaching a wider range of audience.

1. iiMedia Research

2. RED: City Walk Trend Report

Hermès - On the Wings of Hermès

OVERVIEW

The open-to-the-public exhibition, ‘On the Wings of Hermès’ arrived in Shanghai from December 9th to December 19th, 2023 at the West Bund Artistic Center after hitting up Tokyo, Paris, Taipei, Los Angeles, and Hong Kong.

The live exhibition is created by Belgian director Jaco Van Dormael and choreographer Michèle Anne De Mey along with her Astragales dance company.
The show constructs a fantastical and poetic universe by showcasing Pegasus and his six foals as they embark on a journey across the world in search of the essence of lightness. This creative style, which combines romantic aesthetics with humanistic warmth, harmoniously aligns with the essence of the Hermès brand.
In the darkness of a space that resembles a film studio, seven sketches, which blend together dance, object theater, music, and cinema, reveal, one after another, a showcase of the tales and Hermes objects for the visitors.

CURIOSITY SPOTLIGHT

Distinctive brand storytelling

The exhibition establishes a distinctive visual language by integrating Hermès products, like Kelly bags, ready-to-wear, and furniture, seamlessly into the performance, turning them into poetic figurines that enhance the brand‘s products within the narrative and set them apart from competitors.

Brand Culture & Value

By engaging in film projects that address contemporary cultural themes and collaborations with renowned artists, Hermès positions itself as a contributor to cultural conversations and artistic expressions.
This film is a captivating fusion of dance art, object theater, and intricate craftsmanship. It combines realistic movements with miniature props, creating a mesmerizing display of Hermès' impeccable artistry, artisanal spirit, and limitless imagination.

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2023 December Industry Insights & Best Practices