Exciting New Amalgamation of Luxury Brands And Pop-up Stores

The pandemic has undoubtedly changed the dynamic of every industry in the world, and the luxury industry remains one of the affected sectors. Gone are the smooth sailing days where customers sauntered into high end boutiques as a hobby, and spent astronomical amounts on their casual afternoon shopping sprees. Most consumers in Western countries are still quite sceptical to step out of their homes and go shopping. It is obvious then, that luxury brands are having a hard time maintaining their previously enthusiastic clientele.

However, one interesting piece of news is that China, one of the biggest retail locations in the globe, is witnessing a tremendous rise in pop-up retail stores. Famous luxury brands such as Gucci, Burberry, Fendi and Bottega Veneta are turning to the power of pop-up stores and technology to appeal to the millennials in China.

Chinese Valentine’s Day (Qixi Festival) is just around the corner (25th August), and brands such as Fendi and Dior have specially curated their recent collections for this day of love. Fendi launched its pop-up stores at the capital, Beijing and also Chengdu, to introduce its newest collection created in collaboration with British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr. Doodle.

Fendi additionally set up adorable mini-café’s that has tables adorned with Mr. Doodle’s graffiti works. The brand also created a feature so that customers can purchase their one-off items through WeChat, a social media platform that has become increasingly popular in China for launches of limited-edition products.

Another popular brand, Dior, has set up pop-up stores in various locations to launch its latest Dioramour capsule collection. All of these stores are adorably love-themed in honour of the upcoming Chinese Valentine’s Day. The brand has also collaborated with the WeChat platform and set up an interactive way to promote its collection. Every recommended product in the collection is preceded by a short clip by Angelababy, the beloved brand ambassador/ actress in China.

Another exciting addition is wild animal themed pop-up stores by Burberry. The brand designed its stores to match its latest animal-print collection, and also incorporated exciting Augmented reality and 3D features in the stores. Customers can scan items in the stores using their phones and enjoy seeing birds flying and other animals come to life on their screens.

Lastly, Bottega Veneta also launched its pre-fall 2020 collection, consisting of small leather goods, shoes and eyewear for both men and women, through an intriguing ‘invisible’ pop-up store in Shanghai.
 
Lining the exterior of the store with mirrored panels meant that shoppers couldn’t see what’s inside until they entered. From a distance, the store even looked as if it couldn’t be seen. This certainly created an air of mystery and rapture around the already exciting pop-up store concept. WeChat can also be used to book VIP appointments at the store.

While there is undeniably going to be a new ‘normal’ in every sector now, it is the unfaltering nature of humans to adapt to change and find beauty and happiness in whatever life holds for us. These pop-up stores are just a small example of how the shining and dazzling million-dollar industry of luxury goods is coming up with novel, innovative and ingenious ways to keep all of us just as fashionable as ever.