Longchamp opens Shanghai flagship, plans more China stores

Longchamp has opened a new China flagship store in Shanghai, with plans for the French luxury brand to open another flagship store in Beijing later in the year.

Located at the Jing An Kerry Centre on Shanghai’s Nanjing Road West, the new Longchamp flagship offers the biggest selection of fashion, bags and accessories from the Parisian leathergoods brand. This includes women’s ready-to-wear, shoes, handbags, leather accessories, as well as men’s collections and luggage bags.

According to Longchamp CEO Jean Cassegrain, the luxury brand is considering opening stores in the country’s capital, and in second-tier cities such a Changsha.

“There is a potential for us to open stores at new locations and there are still cities where we are not present,” Cassegrain told China Daily this week.

“In October, we will open a new store in Beijing, at a landmark shopping mall on Wangfujing Street,” he added.In addition to physical stores, Longchamp products are available for purchase in China on social media platform, WeChat, via the Longchamp account. According to the CEO, e- and m-commerce are yet to be fully explored in the Asian market.

“It is our plan to continue developing online channels in China,” he said.

Longchamp’s retail push comes as experts predict the return of luxury spending in China over the next three years. In a report, Bain Consulting Group said the proportion of global luxury consumption accounted for by Chinese consumers would increase from the current 30% to 35% by 2020.

Longchamp currently has 18 stores in China. It counts 1,500 points of sale across 80 countries spanning exclusive brand and franchise stores, department store concessions, multibrand leathergoods stores, airport stores and online sales. The brand directly manages more than 300 points of sale through 21 distribution subsidiaries.