Luxury and Fashion Retailing in China: The Case of Florentia Village

Abstract

The aim of this chapter is to investigate how luxury retailers manage brand communications and omni-channel retailing in a highly digital market such as China, which represents the most growing market for luxury products at the same time. A case study of an Italian luxury designer outlet operating in Mainland China and Hong Kong, Florentia Village, is analyzed. Data consist of semi-structured interviews with the firm’s managers and store visits, triangulated with secondary data. Results discuss the main issues involved in the development of an effective luxury retailing strategy in the Chinese market, including activities on traditional and digital channels. The analyzed case study suggests that, despite the growing relevance of e-commerce, physical stores hold a primary role in enhancing the consumer experience in China. Moreover, luxury retailing strategies should focus at building a strong brand image that leverages on attributes such as country of origin and the integration with digital tools.