third-tier

With a heavy-spending affluent class and a rising middle class that could surpass that of the US by 2025, China’s second-, third-, and now fourth-tier cities are primed for the next wave of luxury consumption. Read More

Having followed domestic Chinese brands first into second-tier provincial capitals over the past several years, many international brands are looking more seriously at expansion into third- and fourth-tier Chinese cities. Read More

Rather than blaming a "luxury crackdown" or decline in conspicuous consumption, Zegna sees this year's expected sales decline as an indication that sky-high luxury growth in China has been, and is, simply unsustainable. Read More

Though China's red-hot luxury market has slowed from high growth-rate estimates in the range of 35 to 40 percent in 2011 to anywhere from 13 to 18 percent this year, the effect of this muted slowdown has been far from uniform for major brands. Read More

If there's one major distinguishing factor about the current state of China's luxury hotel market, it's the contrast between saturated top-tier cities and "blank slate" cities further inland. Read More

Facing more saturated retail environments and greater competition in China's largest and most developed metropolitan areas, ad agencies and brand marketers are pushing their way into lower-tier cities, looking to tap a gradually expanding customer base. Read More

Rising high-end consumption and wealth creation in second- and third-tier Chinese cities isn't only attracting brands like Zegna or multi-brand luxury retailers like The Swank, it's enticing some of the world's top hoteliers to go further inland. Read More

The mega-metropolis may have been in the news more for political controversy and intrigue than business over the past several months, but on June 18 the massive Chinese municipality of Chongqing will see the opening of Gucci's southwest China flagship. Read More

Armani plans to kick up its China efforts to tap the middle class in inland cities, a large and highly segmented group whose spending is expected to continue rising even as the broader luxury market in China registers lower annual growth rates. Read More

This week, the Shanghai-based magazine "Fortune Character" released a report saying that China is set to become not just the world's largest watch market in terms of demand, but in terms of sales as well. Read More