Brand's 17th Boutique In Mainland China#
As the largest city in northeast China, with a population of nearly 8 million, and a key transportation and trade hub owing to its proximity to Russia and North Korea, Shenyang, capital of Liaoning Province, has seen its fortunes increase fairly rapidly over the last couple of decades. With the ensuing increase in the number of wealthy residents, major luxury brands have begun to smell opportunity, and the city now boasts two Louis Vuitton boutiques, a Gucci store, and brands like Tiffany & Co., Bally and Zegna concentrated at the high-end Charter Shopping Center (卓展购物中心). Still, compared to cities like Harbin and Dalian, Shenyang continues to lag behind in attracting a wider array of brands.
Regardless, this is starting to change, albeit slowly. This month, the LVMH-owned French jeweler Chaumet, which currently operates 17 boutiques in mainland China, made its debut in Shenyang with an event at Charter Shopping Center. Attended by the popular actress Yao Chen (previously on Jing Daily), who appeared wearing a one-of-a-kind "Josephine" series yellow diamond tiara worth US$1.6 million, the event marked Chaumet's shift towards inland China expansion.
A relative latecomer to the mainland China market, Chaumet opened its first China location in Shanghai in 2008, 18 years behind Cartier, 17 years after Tiffany & Co. and five years after Bvlgari. Starting off at a competitive disadvantage, Chaumet has prioritized events featuring celebrities like Yao Chen -- the most followed celebrity on Sina Weibo, with nearly 17 million fans -- and opened locations in more off-the-beaten-path Chinese cities like Taiyuan and Dalian.
