French fashion maison Hermès has opened a new store in Wuxi, as the Paris-based brand continues to expand ts retail footprint in mainland China.
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Located in Center 66, in the Jiangsu province’s Liangxi District, the new Hermès Wuxi store spans two levels with architecture inspired by water and stone, according to a press release.
Outside, the façade pattern is a nod to traditional Ming temple roofs, with its vertical wooden tiles revealing a dark-blue colour, creating a kinetic effect, while its curved shape, which is also present in the ceilings and the central staircase, riffs on the course of the Yangtze River.
Inside, the floor consists of granite grey stone highlighted by two mosaic carpets bearing the Faubourg pattern. Above the beige stucco walls, which are brightened up with light oak wood, the curved ceilings put the finishing touches on the store, which was designed by Parisian architecture agency RDAI.
On level one, visitors will find women’s silk, fashion jewellery and men’s silk, as well as fragrances, before coming across the brand’s men’s ready-to-wear on the same floor.
Facing the leather universe and overlooking the men’s shoe section, a dark-blue ceramic staircase with bronze guard rail leads to level two, which houses the women’s ready-to-wear and shoe areas, as well as the equestrian accessories and homeware collections.
The floor is completed with jewellery and watches areas, which lead into a private lounge.
The new Hermès Wuxi store serves as the brand’s 34th location in mainland China. Late last year, Hermès opened a second store in China’s Chengdu.
In its most recent trading update in October, 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.