| Amid the rolling green farmland that stretches out in between China's capital and one of its largest port cities, a replica of a 16th-century Italian town has taken shape among the fields.
The airy complex incorporates Italian-style tiles, wood ornaments and furniture, with no detail left to chance. In the middle of the development is a spacious, over-the-top replica of the Coliseum. Toward the back, a gondolier steers his imported Italian boat down a quiet and picturesque canal as shoppers and onlookers stop to watch.
Welcome to the lavish new world of luxury outlet mall shopping in China.
This is Florentia Village: Jingjin Designer Outlets, a high-end development created through a partnership between Italy's Fingen Group and the Waitex Group of the US.
The outlet mall is midway between Beijing and Tianjin, at a prime spot on the high-speed rail line, where it will feature outlet shops for some of the world's leading luxury brands.
More than three-dozen brands including Prada, Giorgio Armani, Versace, Salvatore Ferragamo, Fendi, Bulgari and Coach are present in the complex, which started operations in June. Eventually the mall will include outlet shops for more than 100 brands, as well as food and beverage outlets, according to its management. A bit out of keeping with the mall's Italian theme, KFC is already in business.
"We chose to launch our first China outlet under the brand name Florentia Village in Wuqing because of its potential to attract a new generation of stylish Chinese consumers with fast growing disposable income in the luxury sector," Ivano Poma, chairman and CEO of Florentia Village and managing director of RDM Asia, said.
"Our aim is to establish Florentia Village as a retail landmark for design, fashion and business success in China, by offering an authentic Italian outlet experience and unparalleled world-class management," Poma added.
While the complex is big, lavish and unusual, amassing retail outlets of world-class luxury brands into one single space is nothing new for China, where luxury malls abound. The real difference here for Chinese shoppers will be the price.
Developers say prices at Florentia Village will be reduced by 40 to 70 percent from traditional retail outlets in other areas in China. In a country with fast-rising inflation and some of the world's highest clothing prices, that's no small incentive to take the train 17 minutes out of Beijing to go shopping.
"It's worth coming here on weekends to shop even if I only find a 20 percent discount," said Lu Tianyi, a 24-year-old browsing at the Coach store in one of Beijing's newer outlet malls on a recent Sunday afternoon.
The burgeoning growth in outlet malls that do offer deep discounts like Florentia Village are becoming a major draw, analysts and store clerks say. Retail spaces that were empty at the start have drawn larger crowds and even long lines as it becomes clear they are, in fact, selling at lower prices.
Cost is such a concern for Chinese shoppers that thousands flock to Hong Kong, Tokyo. Time will now tell how many consumers are willing to travel to the middle of fields for Prada and Armani. |
