Austrian crystal maker Swarovski will continue its expansion in China despite an ongoing government anti-extravagance campaign that has impacted sales of some top-end products, executive board member Nadja Swarovski said last week.
“China is an incredibly important market for us today we’re opening an average of 25 to 30 stores per year in China,” she said, before Atelier Swarovski launched its first dedicated bridal jewelry line in Beijing Friday. The 33-piece Flower of Life range was designed by Chinese wedding-dress designer Ye Mingzi and will be available in selected stores around the world in September.
Swarovski says it has seen no down turn in sales as a result of the Chinese President Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption and austerity drive, possibly as result of its wide range of products and their relative affordability.
The crystal maker’s ongoing expansion in China comes as it is also making a big push into another Asian giant, India. People inside the Swarovski say there are also plans to begin opening more shops in Japan and South Korea in the near future.
As for China, Nadja Swarovski says the group’s luxury jewelry line Atelier Swarovski is looking for more collaborations with local designers to make “collections exclusive to the market.” “China seems to be tapping into its creative DNA right now, and we are seeing some very innovative, exciting and confident work,” she told WWD.