Chinese tourists currently account for a staggering 40% of all luxury sales in France, according to an HSBC report published in February, so many of Paris’ retailers will continue to do whatever it takes to draw them in.
The “grands magasins” – the equivalent of Harrods in London or Bloomingdales in New York – as well as the shops on the Champs Elysées, plus the luxury boutiques and jewellers around Place Vendome are all using a number of subtle and not so subtle tactics to cater to Chinese shopping whims.
They provide free wi-fi; Mandarin-speaking staff; VIP lounges and dedicated express shopping lanes. The space is reserved specifically for tourists and the lanes are decked with a selection of Chinese shoppers’ favourites. Often Chinese tourists are in Paris just a day and half which leaves little time to walk idly through the vast shopping malls.
“All Chinese clients are personally welcomed by a hostess speaking Chinese. Shopping items are delivered to their hotel directly. We continuously adapt so that their shopping experience is tailored to their needs,” said Marie Bart, deputy director of relations with clients of the Bon Marché, a high-end department store in the seventh arrondissement of Paris.
Their typical Chinese client is a high-net-worth individual who does not hesitate to splurge on niche French luxury brands such as Roger Vivier shoes or bags and accessories from Moyna, which are harder to find in China.