Reports

    Guangzhou Goes Gucci (Again): Italian Luxury Brand To Re-Debut At La Perle

    Guangzhou has been without a Gucci store since 2004, when the Italian luxury brand left the city to focus on other emerging markets.
    Jing DailyAuthor
      Published   in Fashion

    Gucci Withdrew From Guangzhou In 2004, Has Experienced Delays In Returning#

    Gucci currently operates 31 stores throughout China (Image: Luxuo)

    After a nearly seven year hiatus, Gucci is set to re-enter Guangzhou with a new store at the city's La Perle luxury mall. Originally situated alongside other major brands like Louis Vuitton at the Guangzhou Marriott, in 2004 the opening of La Perle caused a sort of mass exodus to the glittering new mall, yet Gucci chose to hold off, instead leaving the city entirely to focus on expansion elsewhere. In the ensuing years, a series of missteps has continued to plague the Italian brand's grand re-entry into this lucrative market. As early as 2006, Gucci was looking to re-open at Guangzhou's Grandbuy Mall, but as a mall representative told China.cn, "many international luxury brands have very specific demands when looking to open a dedicated shop, and at that time Grandbuy had no way to meet Gucci's needs."

    Since 2006, several high-end malls in Guangzhou have fruitlessly negotiated with Gucci to open a location. According to the brand, Guangzhou's lack of a well-defined market has been the main factor in its seven-year hiatus. However, this is changing, and Gucci appears to have been adequately enticed by the city's potential, as Chinese-language reports indicate that a Gucci store is currently being built on the ground level at La Perle. Although mall representatives declined to give further details, they confirmed Gucci will soon "re-debut" in a 800 square meter location previously occupied by Bvlgari. This will be Gucci's 32nd dedicated location in China.

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