Exclusive: Louis Vuitton Expands E-commerce Reach to Cover All of China

On the 1st anniversary of Louis Vuitton China's e-commerce launch, the French luxury powerhouse is rolling out its services to all major cities throughout the mainland, effective this Sunday, July 15. This means consumers from smaller cities will also be able to enjoy the brand's premium delivery service and convenient 7-days return policy. For the past year, Louis Vuitton has been catering to 12 of China's largest cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing, and Guangzhou. To ensure all consumers enjoy an excellent offline experience, the brand waited an entire year to extend its service to other cities. The news of this e-tail rollout comes just days after Louis Vuitton announced the lowering of its prices in China, in support of the Chinese government's tax-cutting efforts. Since the announcement, multiple luxury brands including Gucci and Burberry have followed suit. Louis Vuitton's sudden price drop and expanded online portal are great news to Chinese luxury fans. In addition, to celebrate its e-tail anniversary, Louis Vuitton will offer various exclusive products – including a soft pink handbag from the New Wave collection and the brand's popular twist bags in three new designs. Customers will also be able to place also pre-order to get their hand on the latest fragrance, Le Jour Se Leve. Speedy delivery is another factor that could enhance the experience of Louis Vuitton's Chinese customers. The e-commerce sites of Loius Vuitton, Gucci, Prada, and Chanel are all supported by the same domestic Chinese delivery service, SF express, which can offer delivery times of up to a couple of days depending on location. In direct competition, e-commerce giant JD.com promises to deliver to consumers within 90 minutes. What these brands lack in shipping capabilities, they make up for in exclusivity. While most luxury online stores still only offer a limited range of products, on Louis Vuitton.cn consumers can enjoy the brand's full range of products - almost. The Capucines collection, a minimalist range first introduced in the Fall/Winter 2013 show, is the only unavailable product group. A report released in June by Bain predicted that sales of luxury goods will grow between 20 and 22 percent in mainland China this year, at least doubling the rate of growth anywhere else in the world. As the Chinese government continues to enforce policies to boost domestic consumption, ramping up online offerings in China is certainly one way for luxury brands to get ahead.

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Exclusive: Louis Vuitton Expands E-commerce Reach to Cover All of China