Shopping heats up in retail mega-festival (hktdc.com)


	Top international brands have long known the retail pulling power of Hong Kong

A record number of visitors are expected to “discover the diverse shopping experience” of Hong Kong during the city’s annual summer shopping festival.

This year’s theme is a reflection of Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) surveys that show the diversity of Hong Kong’s shopping experiences is a main attraction for visitors. While many come to shop for luxury brands and trendy merchandise in the city’s designer malls, others enjoy the open-air markets, authentic Chinese specialty stores and themed shopping streets that make the Hong Kong shopping experience unique in Asia.

Many international brands recognise the retail pulling power of Hong Kong. Louis Vuitton (LVMH) is the latest of the big names to undergo a store revamp in Hong Kong, opening a state-of-the-art, two-storey emporium in the swanky Landmark complex, Central. Landmark also houses Gucci, Fendi and Dior, luxury UK department store Harvey Nichols, and French luxury shoe brand Roger Vivier. Italian fashion house Roberto Cavalli opened a flagship store in Central's ifc mall last year, while men's personal care products maker Acca Kappa set up in Times Square, Causeway Bay. Top Italian lingerie and beachwear brand, La Perla has just opened a flagship store in Pacific Place.

So many brands

The beauty of Hong Kong is the high concentration of brands within such a small, accessible area. In the new ifc mall alone, the tenant mix reads like a who's who of style, with names like Zara, Ferragamo, Tiffany, Chopard, Prada, Mikimoto, Valentino, Kate Spade and Hugo Boss, along with the HK$200 million (US$26 million), 85,000 square foot new concept Lane Crawford department store.

And still they come. International names that aren’t in Hong Kong already are rushing to establish a presence. Swedish fashion retailer H&M is opening two stores in Central and Kowloon this year, while Nike is setting up a standalone store in Causeway Bay.

Brands also see the value of Hong Kong as their gateway to the Chinese mainland. According to ACNielsen research, Hong Kong is the most popular destination for Chinese tourists, 70 per cent of whom cite shopping as their motivation for travel. Branded goods are top of their shopping list, with fashion and cosmetics their preferred purchases. These results, say ACNielsen, show Hong Kong “has certainly maintained its reputation as a shopping paradise”.

HKTB data shows that in 2005, 45 per cent of visitors from all countries bought clothing during their stay. People who bought the most came from Southeast Asia, Taiwan, Australia and New Zealand, the Chinese mainland, Europe and US.

A record 7,800 merchants are participating in this year’s Hong Kong Shopping Festival, held throughout July and August, and incorporating special deals, spectacular entertainment, product expos and culinary presentations. Nearly half of the participating merchants have agreed to extend their operating hours to allow visitors to enjoy late-night shopping, dining and entertainment.

Global promotion

To promote the all-round, multi-faced shopping experience that is uniquely Hong Kong’s, HKTB has been marketing the shopping festival around the world. Global promotions include six-episode travelogue featuring a treasure-hunt game in Shanghai in the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong Fashion Week staged in Taiwan, and major consumer roadshows in the US. The board is also co-operating with travel trade partners in various Asian markets to introduce special packages themed around the festival.

HKTB has distributed a special guide to luxury-brand shopping to various overseas countries including Japan, the US, Australia and Canada. It is “dressing up” the traditional market areas of the city with lanterns and other festive decorations, and hosting guided tours to introduce visitors to the culture and heritage of Central and Western districts.

Last year, 4.6 million visitors came to Hong Kong during the 2005 Hong Kong Shopping Festival. Financial Secretary Henry Tang, in launching this year’s event, said the festival has become a firm fixture on the city’s calendar. “It showcases one of our key strengths as a destination – the astonishing diversity, cutting-edge style and amazing value that can be found everywhere in this city,” Mr Tang remarked. “With more mega events still to come, a kaleidoscope of culture and heritage waiting to be explored, and an array of wonderful new tourism assets, there really is something for everyone in 2006 Discover Hong Kong Year.”