Without question, the shopping preferences\u00a0demonstrated by Chinese millennials represent a significant and major economic opportunity for the future of the global market. This\u00a0makes it important for Paris-based brands and tour\u00a0operators to keep up to date on emerging trends and habits to better adjust their product and experience offerings, as well as their communication and business strategy to millennial shoppers\u2019 needs.<\/p>\n
Below, Juliette Duveau\u00a0and Sophia Dumenil\u00a0of\u00a0The Chinese Pulse<\/a>\u00a0have highlighted some of the latest insights on the Parisian market, based on Chinese millennials\u2019 shopping habits.<\/p>\n From the well-beaten shopping track to a lifestyle shopping experience<\/strong><\/p>\n Shopping is one of the key activities for Chinese tourists in Paris, who spend an average of 1,500 euros a week. Understanding that Chinese tourists are often time-constrained, tour operators are\u00a0setting up\u00a0efficient shopping routes<\/a>\u00a0in terms of location, brand mix offering, and tax free services.<\/p>\n But the new generation of Chinese tourists is traveling differently. Having more time for one destination, they are looking for more authenticity. The well-beaten shopping track has increasingly become so routine that it has lost a part of the Parisian soul, something, in fact, many of them are looking for.<\/p>\n Today, Chinese millennials want to include shopping into a more global experience and discover local \u2018art de vivre<\/em>\u2019. They are curious about local culture and want to experience Paris like a local Parisian would. They mix their shopping with lifestyle activities by choosing a nice area to in which stroll around, hanging out at small caf\u00e9s, and going to the best neighborhood boulangeries. At the same time, they\u2019re visiting the latest concept stores they have already looked up on social media.<\/p>\n Last summer, one of China\u2019s top fashion influencers, Wenjun Lau, handpicked some of her favorite lifestyle and shopping spots by pretending she was a local Parisian. She used the expression \u201cborn in Paris\u201d in her curated list, featuring famous names like\u00a0Hotel Costes<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0The Broken Arm<\/strong>, that attracted more than 20,000 views.\u00a0Among the places, she refers to is the\u00a0Colette<\/strong>\u00a0concept store, known\u00a0for its contemporary fashion and lifestyle product selection.\u00a0Colette\u2019s sales team confirms that the number Chinese millennials in their customer base tripled in the past five years, noting these customers previously were more focused on gadgets and accessories, and now they are much more interested in fashion and streetwear pieces.<\/p>\n Le Bon March\u00e9\u00a0<\/strong>gained attention last summer when\u00a0blogger \u5468\u82e5\u96eaPatty, who claims to have more than\u00a01 million followers, posted photos of herself sampling\u00a0gourmet products with a local renowned chef at\u00a0La Grande Epicerie<\/strong>. The article was reposted more than 500\u00a0times.<\/p>\n Chinese travelers are also passing along tips to their friends. Chen and Olivia, two Chinese shoppers encountered in lifestyle concept store\u00a0Merci<\/strong>, said they found out about the shop through their\u00a0friends\u2019 Weibo posts, as well as through consulting XiaoHongShu (Little Red Book<\/a>), a popular Chinese social platform for cross-border e-commerce.<\/p>\n Thanks to\u00a0its presence on Chinese travel website Ctrip,\u00a0Canal Saint Martin<\/strong>,\u00a0<\/strong>known for its youthful, creative spirit and \u2018frenchy\u2019 fashion shops, is also gaining popularity among Chinese travelers.<\/p>\n From luxury maisons to creative labels<\/strong><\/p>\n Paris\u2019s historic luxury maisons, known for their \u201csavoir faire\u201d, their quality, and international recognition, still fascinate many\u00a0Chinese shoppers.\u00a0Being based in Paris, most of the luxury houses can offer competitive prices, helping\u00a0fuel the Chinese shopper\u2019s demand for luxury in Paris.<\/p>\n Yet, even though there are still long lines\u00a0in front of Louis Vuitton\u2019s flagship store on the Champs Elys\u00e9e, a new quest is emerging among the most creative Chinese millennials: the discovery of the contemporary fashion side of the city. They aspire to shop at more urban and hyped brands available in Paris.<\/p>\n Chinese millennials have acquired a strong knowledge base and expertise about fashion consumption, thanks to their extensive travel experience, the strong presence of international brands in China, and the instant flow of information on social media.<\/p>\n Here is a\u00a0sampling of some of the\u00a0brands that are currently becoming an alternative to\u00a0conventional luxury consumption for young and trendy Chinese shoppers in Paris:<\/p>\n Up and coming fashion labels<\/strong><\/p>\n Creative labels, including\u00a0V\u00eatements, Acne Studio, APC, Jacquemus, Kitsune, Olympia Le Tan,\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0Ami<\/strong>, are generating a growing buzz on social media in China, with more mentions in fashion editorials, blog\u00a0posts, and tags by KOLs.<\/p>\n In Asia, V\u00eatements\u00a0made its debut when\u00a0K-Pop megastar G-Dragon wore the label. G-Dragon has a huge influence in Asia, especially in Korea and China, where he influences not only ordinary people, but other\u00a0celebrities. One of his fans, Chinese actress\u00a0Yang Mi<\/a>, soon after posted a selfie on Weibo wearing a V\u00eatements sweatshirt, marking this brand\u2019s first unofficial step into China.\u00a0Gogoboi<\/a>, another important fashion influencer in China, attracted more than 7,000\u00a0likes with a simple picture featuring a V\u00eatements sweater.<\/p>\n The popular TV series \u201cOde to Joy II\u201d, which aired in China in May, attracts online discussion about what the actresses in the show are wearing. In one episode, actress Wang Ziwen wears a Jacquemus red dress.<\/p>\n Fakeshion, a Weibo blogger with nearly 1 million fans posted an article on its WeChat platform to introduce the brand concept of Jacquemus and the inspirations of the young French designer behind the brand, Simon Porte. Meanwhile,\u00a0Voicer, a famous online magazine about fashion, design and lifestyle, published an in-depth article called \u201cWhy can ACNE Studios can take over the cool kids\u2019wardrobes for 20 years without advertising?\u201d The article, which tells the brand\u2019s story, was shared on Voicer\u2019s WeChat account and attracted more than 35,000 views\u00a0in less than 24 hours.<\/p>\n Contemporary premium fashion brands<\/strong><\/p>\n Accessible, yet premium fashion brands are booming in Paris as they represent\u00a0a beneficial ratio of creativity vs. price, with designs incarnating the French fashion spirit: romanticism, hype, and chic.<\/p>\n![\"Chen](\"http:\/\/313ct818yszd3xd6xa2z47nm-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/Olivia-Chen-TCP2-1024x768.jpg\")
<\/p>\nChen & Olivia, Chinese millennial shoppers at Merci Paris. (Courtesy of The Chinese Pulse)<\/h6>\n<\/div>\n