Retail Express
Hermès opens second Chengdu store on China expansion
2023-11-03
French luxury brand Hermès has opened its second store in Chengdu, and thirty-third in mainland China, as the Parisian house hones in on the Sichuan provence’s capital city. Located in the SKP Chengdu shopping centre, inside the Chengdu Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone, the new Chengdu store, designed by Parisian architecture agency RDAI, spans two storeys.
Designed to open towards the exterior and let in natural light, the façade is made up of woven openwork panels, made of glass and stone surfaces, alternating between transparency and the darker pattern of the stone.
On the ground floor, visitors are welcomed by men’s silk and equestrian accessories, which lead to homeware collections. The left side is dedicated to men’s ready-to-wear and shoes, while the right houses bags and small leather goods. The bottom level features a bamboo staircase entirely covered with wicker weaving, leading tp the first floor, which is home to the women’s wear. Starting with silk, the right half showcases ready-to-wear, shoes, hats, belts, jewellery, and watches. On the left, visitors will find fashion jewellery, as well as beauty, and fragrances.
At the two entrances of the store, the floor is made of terrazzo in bright colours and includes the traditional Faubourg pattern known to the maison, mixed in with natural materials, such as wood panels, fabrics, and hand-made plaster, features throughout.
As for the decor, the store boasts a shawl design by the Chinese artist Tong Ren, and big cats and owls by French illustrator Paul Jouve. Other original artworks from the Émile Hermès collection are also on display in store. “Setting up a home in an ever-evolving city where tradition meets innovation, Hermès invites loyal customers and new visitors to step into the richness and modernity of its collections in a welcoming environment that blends creativity with sustainability,” said the brand in a press release, when describing the new Chengdu store.
In its most recent trading update this month, Hermès said overall sales continued to increase in the third quarter, and reached EUR 3.365 billion, up 16 percent at constant exchange rates, despite a particularly high comparison base in Asia. Hermès Asia excluding Japan region continued its strong momentum, up 10 percent to EUR 1.575 billion, with sales growth robust in Greater China, Singapore, Thailand, Australia and Korea, even after a strong quarter in 2022, following the lifting of health measures in China.
During the quarter, a new Hermès store opened in July in the city of Tianjin in northern China and the company’s Petit H stopped over at the Beijing China World store in September.
