Editor's note#
: Australia, in particular, the city of Sydney, has long been one of the most popular travel destinations among China's luxury shoppers. According to Tourism Australia, there were more than 1.4 million Chinese tourist arrivals in the 12 months ending June 2018, up 12.9 percent year-on-year, accounting for nearly 16 percent of total tourist arrivals in the period. This story originally appeared on The Moodie Davitt Report, our content share partner.
Bvlgari will make its Australian airport debut when it joins Sydney Airport’s suite of global luxury brands at the T1 International terminal.
The new store, to be opened in the fourth quarter of 2018, will showcase the Italian luxury house’s Serpenti and B. Zero1 jewelry lines among other jewelry, accessories, leather goods, scarves, eyewear, and watches.
Bvlgari will join Sydney Airport’s powerful line-up of luxury brands that include Tiffany & Co., Hermès, Gucci, Rolex, Burberry, Max Mara, Michael Kors, Tumi, Emporio Armani, Coach, and Hugo Boss.
The opulent store interior will feature marble columns, walnut parquet flooring, and Murano crystal chandeliers. To celebrating Italian designers of the 50s and 60s, the space will also house furniture carefully selected to showcase the Bvlgari creative spirit.
Sydney Airport General Manager Retail Glyn Williams said that welcoming Bvlgari to the luxury fashion precinct reinforces Sydney Airport’s focus on continually evolving the retail offer. He said that the airport company continually seeks new concepts and brands that propel a "one-of-a-kind" shopping experience with the added benefit of tax-free prices.
“We’re thrilled to announce Bvlgari will soon open at T1,” he said. “The brand is exceptional in terms of luxury. Their unique product creativity and ability to develop collections that have strong appeal across a range of customer demographics means it’s the perfect fit for our diverse T1 passenger mix.”
Bvlgari South Asian Operations Managing Director Jenny Cheah said, “The new Bvlgari boutique to open at Sydney Airport marks our seventh store open in Australia and further supports the market’s potential in luxury retailing. Similar to our recently refurbished Castlereagh Street flagship [in downtown Sydney -Ed], the boutique at T1 will express the new design concept executed by Peter Marino who has reimagined some of the most iconic Bvlgari boutiques around the world,” she said.
“The new boutique at Sydney Airport will grant travelers the opportunity to shop Bvlgari at its only airport location in Australia.”
*Peter Marino is the principal of Peter Marino Architect, a New York firm that has carved out a strong reputation in the luxury sector for its innovation in architecture and interior design. He is renowned for integrating art within his architectural designs. In 2017 he was tasked with renovating the Bvlgari flagship on New York’s Fifth Avenue. Marino’s design concept is featured in numerous other Bvlgari stores, including the brand’s Italian flagship shop in Rome.