The Business of Fashion
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
The cross-border e-commerce platform owned by Chinese tech giant Alibaba has launched a luxury channel, offering more than 10,000 products from more than 200 brands including Dior, Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Coach and Givenchy in segments from ready-to-wear to accessories, jewellery and watches.
According to local media reports, the Hangzhou-based company is, in part, working with more than 100 European-based retailers, as well as collaborating with famous Japanese luxury resellers like Daikokuya Inc. and Reclo for pre-loved luxury goods.
Koala Haigou was acquired by Alibaba in 2019 for $2 billion from another internet giant, Netease, and positioned as mid- to high-end shopping platform. The company has lost its previous top ranking in terms cross-border market share to stablemate Tmall International since the acquisition, but its platform still accounts for 22.4 percent of incoming cross-border trade in China.
Learn more:
Three Ways Brands Are Tapping China’s Digitally Native Luxury Shoppers
Digital avatars, branded gaming skins and customised red packets are increasingly popular marketing tactics in the world’s top luxury market. Are they here to stay?
International buyers and talent scouts must cast their nets wider than the usual fashion week incubators, prizes and schools to find the country’s next crop of emerging brands.
Chinese celebrities made a comeback at the European shows this season, but the brands hosting them see the country’s A-listers as more high-risk, high-reward than ever amid fresh scandals and tightening government regulation.
Owners of international brands like Lanvin and Carven faced challenges in their home market under ‘zero-Covid’ rules but China’s economic recovery is now on the horizon.
Critics say they are dystopian, but ‘flawless’ virtual influencers may be worth considering in a market where celebrity brand ambassadors have become an increasingly risky investment.