Download
Harrods set for post-pandemic return of Chinese shoppers
Sunniya Ahmad Pirzada
Europe;UK
The store is launching a collection of branded WeChat stickers to mark the Chinese New Year. /Harrods
The store is launching a collection of branded WeChat stickers to mark the Chinese New Year. /Harrods

The store is launching a collection of branded WeChat stickers to mark the Chinese New Year. /Harrods

In the UK, London's leading luxury department store Harrods is all set to welcome back customers from China. 

In 2021, around 21 percent of global consumer spending on luxury items came from China. Now Beijing has pushed ahead with a long-awaited reopening, announcing an end to mandatory quarantines on arrival with effect from January 8, in a move that prompted Chinese travelers to plan trips abroad.

READ MORE

The Secret Betrayal: China's WWII sailors

Why are UK nurses on strike?

Austria's Krampus parades too violent to insure

Despite some countries imposing restrictions on Chinese visitors, interest in outbound travel from the world's most populous country is on the rise, state media reported.

Bookings for international flights from China have risen by 145 percent year-on-year in recent days, the China Daily newspaper reported, citing data from travel booking platform Trip.com.

London's leading luxury department store is all set to welcome back customers from China. /Harrods
London's leading luxury department store is all set to welcome back customers from China. /Harrods

London's leading luxury department store is all set to welcome back customers from China. /Harrods

The number of international flights to and from China is still a fraction of pre-pandemic levels, however, the government has said it will increase flights and make it easier for people to travel abroad.

It's great news for luxury brands worldwide – and as Harrods' Managing Director Michael Ward explains, it can help them reconnect with an important customer base excited to return. 

"Throughout the last three years we have remained very close to our Chinese customers," Ward tells CGTN, "via participating in events such as Shanghai Fashion Week and through the Harrods Tea Rooms in Shanghai. From this we know that returning to London is something many people have been eagerly waiting for." 

 

'Not a case of switching activity back on'

Harrods delivered goods to China during the COVID-19 pandemic and served Chinese customers who live in London but is looking forward to welcoming Chinese customers from abroad once more.

With travel restrictions eased, the store expects to see more customers from China and is ready to "welcome friends through its doors once again." And with the Chinese New Year approaching on January 22, there will be "greater numbers for Chinese New Year this year compared to the last three years" at the store.

As part of its preparations, it is also launching a collection of branded stickers for WeChat – the Chinese messaging, social and payment app with more than 1 billion users – to mark the Chinese New Year, of Harrods icons such as the teddy bear and the green man. These are expected to play a part in driving excitement to get back to the store.

Chinese New Year 2023 falls on January 22, and this is the year of the Rabbit, which the store is marking with special WeChat stickers. /Harrods
Chinese New Year 2023 falls on January 22, and this is the year of the Rabbit, which the store is marking with special WeChat stickers. /Harrods

Chinese New Year 2023 falls on January 22, and this is the year of the Rabbit, which the store is marking with special WeChat stickers. /Harrods

"We've maintained our presence on Chinese social channels, so for us it is not a case of switching activity back on," explains Ward.

"We've got some exciting things planned for Chinese New Year in store, including a very special afternoon tea and we will also be hosting a Labelhood pop-up," added the Harrods executive.

"We've worked closely with Labelhood in China for a number of years now and for this pop-up we've curated a selection of China's most exciting new design talents to serve both our Chinese customers who reside or study here and those traveling to the UK."

 

'A very playful collaboration'

Labelhood is a showcasing platform that connects emerging designers with young Chinese consumers through events, retail experiences, and brand incubation. 

And the country is expected to become the world's largest luxury market by 2025, when it would account for 40 to 45 percent of the global purchases, according to Bain & Company, a U.S.-based management consulting firm.

In January, a six-week store takeover will see Harrods collaborating with "one of our Chinese customers' favorite international luxury brands."

"The store's exterior will be transformed as part of this… it's a very playful collaboration and we will have a range of exclusive products that will only be available in Harrods, so we expect this to be a big draw for our Chinese customers."

Search Trends