Week In Review: March 11-15, 2013

In case you missed them the first time around, here are some of Jing Daily’s top posts for the week of March 11-15: Michael Kors Hot On Coach's Trail In China As major luxury brands like Gucci put the brakes on their China expansion efforts in 2013, taking a more wait-and-see approach to new store openings, Michael Kors — a key player in China’s burgeoning “affordable luxury” segment — continues to plow ahead. Despite a slowdown in retail sales in the first two months of the year that threatens to dampen the brand’s momentum, MK’s relatively limited retail presence at the moment (around a dozen stores in Greater China, compared to Coach’s 100+) and rising popularity among the country’s middle class virtually ensures any negative effects should be manageable. Net-A-Porter May Find It Difficult To Cross The Great (Tax) Wall Of China As Jing Daily noted last week, the wildly successful Richemont-owned British luxury e-tailer Net-A-Porter is set to launch a Chinese-language version later this month, part of a stronger effort to tap the Asian market that will also see the company open a Hong Kong distribution center. Though Net-A-Porter already has a great deal of operational experience in the Chinese e-tail business, via its one-year-old Outnet.cn site and the leadership of Asia senior vice president Adrienne Ma, the road ahead won’t be easy in China — and not just because of stiff competition from local and international competitors. Five Things You Need To Know About Luxury Marketing With annual growth around eight percent, the global luxury market is more than healthy, and “emerged” markets, such as China, have become the major contributors to its success. However, for the unfamiliar, marketing luxury brands comes with its own subtleties. Here are five things to think about when developing a successful strategy for a luxury brand. "Switzerland Has Had To Reinvent Itself To Accommodate For China” China’s recent economic boom has inevitably seen a sharp rise in the number of wealthy people choosing to spend their newfound wealth traveling abroad. The sight of large groups of Chinese tourists wearing color-coordinated hats, gathering around a megaphone- and flag-toting tour guide, has become all too familiar in many countries in Europe and beyond. However, not all Chinese tourists are following the typical trend of quick-stop tours to snap a few photos and pick up a souvenir or two before being whisked off to the next destination. Zaha Hadid's Sprawling New Cultural Complex Takes Shape In China After winning the design commission in 2011, Zaha Hadid Architects recently broke ground on the Meixihu International Culture and Art Centre, a massive new cultural complex in Changsha, Hunan province. Encompassing an 1,800-seat theatre, a contemporary art museum and a number of multi-purpose venues, the complex spreads outward from a central plaza via interconnected lawns and foot-paths in a flower-like pattern, connected to nearby Festival Island via two pedestrian bridges.

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Week In Review: March 11-15, 2013