“China is the new United States. It’s why we have to promote champagne in China — to make them happy and peaceful. They are going to lead the world for the next 200 years.” -Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger, Chief Executive, Taittinger
Have the Americans been benevolent despots because of ample bubbly? Or is our purported aggressiveness and ruthlessness the result of less fabulous intoxicants? What sort of hegemon is bred on baijiu?
Anyway, Taittinger is just one of countless luxury brands working to gain a slice of China, the sweetest, biggest cake in the market.
As the Expo goes on, China gets more attention and the luxury market seems ever more enticing. Some brands like Dior, Hermes and Levi’s have even started new brands exclusively for the Chinese market.
Chinese customers are going brand mad with luxury sales growing fantastically. China is gradually changing from a never-ending factory to a landscape of a thousand identical luxury shopping centers. The growing demand is nice for the luxury brands, but the complex bureaucracy means one needs – yawn – “guanxi”.
Nels Frye is a freelance writer, photographer, consultant and stylist, based in Beijing. Focuses are on street style, other consumer trends, and broader social issues.
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