Luxury brands open private salons in SKP

What: Luxury is upping the game in SKP by opening private salons which are slowly becoming HNWI social clubs.

Why it is important: The trend should spread across the world as, once an individual has experienced the ultra-premium experience, accepting to be downgraded to a “normal” boutique is not acceptable. However top-end department stores should be prepared and take into account the space consumption involved in such activities: will it be possible to negotiate the commercial terms in a way which makes these sacrifices of square meters profitable?

Several luxury brands have announced the opening of private boutiques dedicated to VIP customers around the world, such as Chanel and LVMH. SKP in Beijing is a particularly coveted location to open such salons, as the most prestigious department store in the country with the highest sales numbers.

While the first one to do so was Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Dior are now following suit by opening VIP-only salons on the third floor of their boutiques. These salons are advertised as highly exclusive and generate a lot of attention from customers, although they are also invisible to the non-connoisseurs visiting the boutique.

In those salons, where new customers are not invited, experience is all that matters, as they are imagined as galleries rather than stores, or even social clubs.