In a strategic move for Etro’s push into China, the Italian luxury brand has opened a new store inside the Plaza 66 shopping mall in Shanghai.
Covering 150 square metres, the latest Shanghai boutique is nestled inside Plaza 66, which is located at Nanjing Xi Road, the most vibrant area of Jing’an District.
The area has been recognised as one of the ‘10 Most Famous Commercial Streets in China’, making it a poignant place for foreign luxury brands to enter. Louis Vuitton, Dior, Cartier and Chopard already have flagships there.
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The new boutique features the latest retail design concept of the brand. The furniture is characterised by white marble and gilded shelves, opposite grey walls, which act as a minimalist backdrop for the bright tones of the furniture. It also houses Etro’s latest collection of womenswear, menswear and accessories.
Etro now has five boutiques in Shanghai, and a total of eleven stores across China located in Beijing, Shijiazhuang, Chengdu and Pudong, as well as the Beijing International Airport.
The Milanese brand’s retail push follows its recently launched phoenix shawl. The bird-print neckpiece in red was designed specifically for the China market with the upcoming Chinese New Year, which rings in the year of the rooster for 2017.
However, the shawl – along with other luxury brand rooster-themed offerings, has been subject to online criticism and jokes from China’s mainstream media, and consumers, on social media. In Etro’s case, consumers weren’t sure if the Italians purposefully printed the phoenix or if they were confusing the phoenix for a rooster.