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Tag: Franck Muller

  • Labels lining up at new Macau resorts

    Labels lining up at new Macau resorts

    As Macau resorts swing the spotlight from gaming to shopping, designer labels are lining up to open their first stores in the former Portuguese colony.

    Established brands have already led the way, and the opening of two major resorts has introduced a broad choice of new retail space.

    Both the US$4.2 billion Wynn Cotai Palace and the new $2.7 billion Parisian Macao offer 18,580 and 28,000 sqm respectively of luxury retail space – together, more than 200 shops. However, established integrated resorts are also benefiting from the retail boom, with Swiss watchmaker Omega opening a corporate boutique in Studio City Macau and Paris designer Christian Dior launching its first boutiquein City of Dreams Macau.

    The all-new Wynn Cotai Palace is welcoming luxury brands such as Chanel, Chopard and Hermes, while watchmaker Franck Muller is launching the Vanguard Wynn Palace Boutique Exclusive, its third opening in the city. A new boutique inside Wynn Palace is also the third Macau outlet for luxury watch brand Panerai.

    Cotai Strip’s newest resort, The Parisian Macao, has set up the Shoppes at Parisian with more than 150 luxury and lifestyle retail boutiques. The shops are housed in different precincts named after some of the most stylish streets and arcades of Paris, including the Champs-Élysées. The fashion on offer includes a mix of both Parisian brands and couture new to Macau, including labels like Antonia, Garel Paris, Herzo, Isabelle Langlois, Sonia Rykiel and Temptation.

    To mark the opening of the Shoppes at Parisian, The Parisian Macao is hosting an exclusive designer runway show, Front Row, tomorrow evening. It will showcase crystal looks from Swarovski plus styles from selected retailers. Celebrity guests include China’s first fashion model Xiao Wen, the current face of Marc Jacobs.

    There will also be runway shows on September 15 and 16, plus other launch events.

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  • Restaurant operators regain a presence in Hong Kong

    Restaurant operators regain a presence in Hong Kong

    Restaurant operators have regained their presence in Hong Kong’s retail market where an increasing number of top-end retailers have surrendered their spaces in the wake of weakening spending on luxury items and a decline in tourist arrivals.

    JLL said that in 2013 food and beverage operators accounted for only 29 per cent of the leasing deals it handled. This year, that figure has increased to more than 50 per cent.

    “There are in discussions with a number of overseas restaurants to open their first outlets in Hong Kong as part of their their Asian expansion plans,” said Michelle Chiu, an associate director at JLL’s retail department. “They come from the United States, Europe and Southeast Asia.”

    A new trend of incorporating food and beverage elements into their retail businesses has been seen among luxury fashion brands, including Franck Muller and Vivienne Westwood. And then, there is the lifestyle concept, such as the collaboration between Mercedes-Benz and Maximal Concepts, which has led to the creation of Mercedes Me.

    At more than 4,000 square feet, Mercedes Me has taken the space formerly occupied by Porsche Design and Geox on the ground floor of Entertainment Building in Central at an estimated monthly rental of HK$4 million. Meanwhile, Vivienne Westwood opened its first cafe in Tsim Sha Tsui and Swiss luxury watch maker Frank Muller has launched a fine-dining restaurant in Causeway Bay.

    To capture growing leasing demand among restaurants, JLL has formed a seasoned food and beverage team to cater for the industry.

    Terence Chan, head of retail at JLL, said the team will offer specialist services to local operators, international restaurant groups and new-to-market entrepreneurs alike.

    “Apart from the traditional F&B agency services including site introduction, lease negotiation, location analysis, tenant representation and market entry strategy and analysis, we also provide project coordination services. We will assist the clients in liaising with the interior designers, licensing consultants, contractors and maintenance vendors for set-up of their restaurants,” Chan said.

    Helen Mak, the retail services group head at Colliers International, believes the softening retail leasing market will provide more opportunities for the return of restaurants given the high rents the international brands could afford to pay just a few years ago.

    “With a restaurant inside the shop, it will also help to retain customers inside longer as well as serving as a venue for promotional events,” Mak said.

    She said shopping centres intend to allocate more space for restaurants in view of the difficult retail market.

    But the rapid expansion of restaurants could increase direct competition as most shopping centres plan to devote more space for food and beverage operators.

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