Sarb Randhawa’s Post

Retro modern mix. In Japan, what we commonly call shopping centers should be called “shopping sanctuary.” Beautiful, well-organized, elegant, and above all, innovative in their approach to retail. I remember that even 15 years ago, they were extremely skilled in displaying food products, as well as in fashion and home goods. The precision and ability to present products heavily reference the local culture. Azabudai Hills is the new prestigious shopping center in Tokyo, a high-quality mixed-use complex combining residences with shops, set in a delightful landscaped environment. It embodies a charm similar to Roppongi Hills and Omotesando Hills. Officine Universelle Buly, which offers a wide range of fragrances, body care, skincare, haircare, and personal care products, sees opportunities for expansion and occupies a standalone structure that is somewhat reminiscent of Forum Les Halles, a late 1970s Parisian shopping complex. 🙌 What’s your take? # 319 RETAIL, Japan 👉 More content on our website and subscribe to the weekly newsletter; the link to the featured news is in the first comment below. 🎯 If you want to learn more about our transformative approach to generating growth (yes, what we call innovation marketing!), feel free to write us privately. Officine Universelle Buly 1803 More about this topics follow #MaurizioRibotti #innovationmarketing #cultureofmodernbusiness #luxury #premium #lifestyle #DRUMROLL --- All rights and credits are reserved to the respective owner(s). Contact us to add you as a reference or content removal.

Retro modern mix. In Japan, what we commonly call shopping centers should be called “shopping sanctuary.” Beautiful, well-organized, elegant, and above all, innovative in their approach to retail. I remember that even 15 years ago, they were extremely skilled in displaying food products, as well as in fashion and home goods. The precision and ability to present products heavily reference the local culture. Azabudai Hills is the new prestigious shopping center in Tokyo, a high-quality mixed-use complex combining residences with shops, set in a delightful landscaped environment. It embodies a charm similar to Roppongi Hills and Omotesando Hills. Officine Universelle Buly, which offers a wide range of fragrances, body care, skincare, haircare, and personal care products, sees opportunities for expansion and occupies a standalone structure that is somewhat reminiscent of Forum Les Halles, a late 1970s Parisian shopping complex. 🙌 What’s your take? # 319 RETAIL, Japan 👉 More content on our website and subscribe to the weekly newsletter; the link to the featured news is in the first comment below. 🎯 If you want to learn more about our transformative approach to generating growth (yes, what we call innovation marketing!), feel free to write me privately. Officine Universelle Buly 1803 More about this topics follow #MaurizioRibotti #innovationmarketing #cultureofmodernbusiness #luxury #premium #lifestyle #DRUMROLL --- All rights and credits are reserved to the respective owner(s). Contact us to add you as a reference or content removal.

It's been an exciting Q3 for the entire YASO team. We made our first hires, growing both our London and Shanghai offices. We've also been signing our first brands, holding our first webinar, writing up our first Beauty White Paper, and planning our Beauty Growth Summit event. Come and check out what we've been up to in our quarterly update video below. 👇 Big things on the horizon for YASO, so stay tuned... 👀 #socialcommerce #china #beauty #chinamarket #quarterlyupdate

It's been an exciting Q3 for the entire YASO team. We made our first hires, growing both our London and Shanghai offices. We've also been signing our first brands, holding our first webinar, writing up our first Beauty White Paper, and planning our Beauty Growth Summit event. Come and check out what we've been up to in our quarterly update video below. 👇 Big things on the horizon for YASO, so stay tuned... 👀 #socialcommerce #china #beauty #chinamarket #quarterlyupdate

Interesting comment on my post yesterday from Grant Neve about the kind of materials we use in constructing centres. Take a look at the link below to an article which appeared in the October issue of Asset about the use of wood in constructing buildings. No mention of a shopping centre – yet.   If you can’t do it with wood, then at least bringing trees and plants on site is a great way of connecting customers and centre employees with nature and the wellbeing it brings. “Namba Parks Osaka (an office and retail complex in Japan) constantly shifts experience. 20,000 plants and trees change seasonally in coloration, scent, shadow - the human need to viscerally connect with the world around us is of the present and the future.” Thanks Phil Jerde. Another worthy insight.   https://lnkd.in/eEJbvZnB Image: Namba Osaka Parks in Japan   #retailnetworkservices #gettingretailright #retailstrategists

It is also a brand under the #EsteeLauder Group. Compared with  #JoMaloneLondon high profile in the Chinese market, another perfume brand -#FredericMalle is much more less publicity. 1. It has been in the Chinese market for more than two years. Apart from the official WeChat mini-program, #FredericMalle currently does not have any other official sales channels for online sales. It does not enter China's largest e-commerce platform - Tmall. 2. Offline, it has only opened less than 15 counters in first-tier cities. 3. In addition, #FredericMalle China team shared the concept of "no marketing": that is, not to conduct large-scale marketing through "one-size-fits-all" methods such as media advertising and celebrity endorsements. It places more emphasis on telling stories for the brand and attracting Chinese consumers through various art exhibitions. For example, when the new product "Synthetic Jungle" was launched in September last year, it planned a limited-time exhibition of the future jungle with Shanghai BANK Gallery, and invited French pioneering cross-border artist Neïl Beloufa to design an immersive light and shadow art installation. Despite this, #FredericMalle is by no means just a "small but beautiful" brand. It can be seen that #EsteeLauder has tried its best to control #FredericMalle shipment speed.  For #FredericMalle, the Chinese market has huge potential. By the way，This is the most satisfying photo I took today!

Also a brand under the #EsteeLauder Group,Compared with  #JoMaloneLondon high profile in the Chinese market, another perfume brand ——#FredericMalle is much more low-key. 1. It has been in the Chinese market for more than two years. Apart from the official WeChat mini-program, #FredericMalle currently does not have any other official sales channels for online sales. It does not enter China's largest e-commerce platform - Tmall. 2. Offline, it has only opened less than 15 counters in first-tier cities; 3. In addition, #FredericMalle China team shared the concept of "no marketing": that is, not to conduct large-scale marketing through "one-size-fits-all" methods such as media advertising and celebrity endorsements. It places more emphasis on telling stories for the brand and attracting Chinese consumers through various art exhibitions. For example, when the new product "Synthetic Jungle" was launched in September last year, it planned a limited-time exhibition of the future jungle with Shanghai BANK Gallery, and invited French pioneering cross-border artist Neïl Beloufa to design an immersive light and shadow art installation. Despite this, #FredericMalle is by no means just a "small but beautiful" brand. It can be seen that #EsteeLauder has tried its best to control #FredericMalle shipment speed.  For #FredericMalle, the Chinese market has huge potential. (By the way，This is the most satisfying photo I took today! 😆 )

In the world of luxury, the customer is sacred. This was a lesson I learned from various CEOs I had the privilege of meeting, particularly highlighted by an experience I had while working in Japan. One day, I was at the Matsuya department store in Ginza when I ran into a friend who worked for another luxury brand, accompanied by the owner and CEO of that brand. As we exchanged greetings, we noticed a sales associate from their brand engaged in a heated argument with a customer. The CEO, who did not understand Japanese, asked us, "Why are they arguing?" My friend explained that the customer wanted to return a pair of shoes that hurt her feet, but since she had already worn them, store policy did not allow for a return. Despite the language barrier, the CEO intervened. He introduced himself, apologized to the customer, and approved the return. Then, turning to my friend, he remarked, "Does that client advisor know how long it takes to create a customer? We don't want to lose a customer over a pair of shoes." #CustomerFirst #LuxuryExperience #Japan #Tokyo #customercentricity

What happened in China between 6 and 10 of May? 1.    Trending topic of the week 🚗 Zhiji Motors has unveiled its second electric sedan, the L6, which set a new record in the moose test, underscoring its superior handling and stability. Starting at ¥199,900, the L6 features advanced technology like a digital chassis and solid-state battery. The popularity of the L6 is highlighted by the hashtag # Zhiji L6 standard version starting from 199,900# (# 智己L6统统标配19.99万起#), which has garnered 140 million views.   2.    Trending video of the week   ☕️ Luckin Coffee and Guizhou Maotai have teamed up to open the "Four Seasons and Eight Festivals" (四时八节) themed store in Shenzhen, Luckin's first venture into Chinese-style cultural-themed offline experience stores. Drawing inspiration from Qi Baishi's (齐白石) artwork, the store merges the essence of the four seasons with traditional Chinese festivals to provide a unique coffee experience.    3.    The number I pick for this week   💼 A recent Zhaopin recruitment platform report shows that pessimism among China's white-collar workers is growing, with 18.9% believing it's "very difficult" to find new jobs, up from 12.6% in 2023. Additionally, the number of actively seeking jobs has dropped nearly 20% to 45.4%. This trend reflects a shift towards prioritizing job stability, evidenced by the increasing number of applicants for civil service positions, which promise lifetime employment.   4.    Brand of the week   ✨ Miu Miu has gone viral once again, this time for its luxury hair clips priced at RMB 3,250 ($448.95) in China. Despite netizens joking about the cost, the hair clips quickly sold out. This buzz has contributed to Miu Miu's impressive 89% YOY revenue growth, underscoring the brand's successful engagement with younger audiences through viral products.   5.    Marketing campaign of the week   🌸  JD.com and Swisse used CG technology to transform Shanghai's Wukang Building for unique campaigns, turning it into a giant birthday cake and a pink cherry blossom-adorned structure, respectively. These captivating visuals on Weibo for the hashtag # Open Shanghai Wukang Building with CG# (# 用CG的方式打开上海武康大楼) gained over 67 million views, showcasing how digital art can breathe new life into historical landmarks and engage a wide audience online. 6.    A regulation change of the week to pay attention to   🧾 China updated its State Secrets Law on February 27, 2024, marking its first major revision since 2010. Effective May 1, 2024, the changes tighten the protection and disclosure of state secrets, impacting how companies manage and transfer data. As part of China's broader national security efforts, these revisions pose new compliance challenges for both domestic and international businesses operating in China. I’d be glad to hear your thoughts on these in the comments below 👇 #china #businessinchina #chinanews #DaxueStories

It's not a secret that the current business climate for stores and brands is challenging. The offering is broad (everyone is selling something nowadays), the internet took the traffic away from the stores and it's not easy to develop new ways to attack the customers. We see companies implementing whatever just to do something and not look static. The importance of the research has never been more dominant when creating truly favorable strategies. The biggest part of it is earning "best practices", the tools that led to favorable results.  To me, one of the best ways to learn is to study Japanese retail. It's not that executives in Japan are somehow bigger visionary than their counterparts in other countries. The reason is much simpler: Japan is the biggest consumer market in the world, and the number of stores, products, and brands can't be compared to any place in the world. At the same train station, you can have four or five department stores with sky-high square footage. And this situation has existed for decades! Therefore, those who want to service and make some profit - need to innovate and this is not a "one-shot deal" (very often people ask me: can we only spend more money on the most impactful initiative, but do it once?). As a result, people do innovate all the time, finding the most productive way to buy, merchandise, have events, etc.  We decided to organize the tour for: RETAILERS: those who are willing to learn the successful practices of Japanese retailers such as Istean, Daimaru, Takashimaya, Hankyu, etc. Market places (malls): Parco Shibuya, Shibuya 109, Ginza 6, etc, Speciality groups: United Arrows, Beams, etc. The program will be tailored to the needs of participants. Examples: what is used by retailers to develop new brands, how do you create a meaningful private label with proven not only in-house but also a wholesale business, etc. BRANDS: those who are interested or planning to start a business in Japan: competition brands, marketing meetings, overall retail landscape, etc. If there is an interest I will send more detailed information. #wwd #bof #fashionindustry #fashionretail #japanesefashion #fashioneducation