Face-to-Face: Ian Stazicker
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Travel Daily talks to Ian Stazicker, head of tourism for Chic Outlet Shopping, about his company’s expansion plans in the Asia Pacific region…
Q) What proportion of shoppers at Chic Outlet Shopping Villages are now Asian, and which are most popular among Asian visitors?
Asia is a hugely important market for all of the Chic Outlet Shopping Villages and Asian countries feature strongly in our tax-refunded sales results. Southeast Asians are the fourth most frequenting guests with sales increasing by 36% in the first quarter of 2013 compared to the previous year. China is the number one market. Travellers from Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan also feature in the top ten visiting nationalities, demonstrating just how important the Asian market is to the Collection of Chic Outlet Shopping Villages.
China is an important market for all the Villages. It is currently the largest in terms of tax-refunded sales for Bicester Village, La Vallée Village, Las Rozas Village, Wertheim Village and Kildare Village, meanwhile Southeast Asia is amongst the largest markets for Bicester Village.
Q) What are your biggest Asian source markets, and which are the fastest-growing?
In terms of growth in tax-refunded sales, for the first quarter of the year the top three Asian markets are China (increase in sales of 49% compared to Q1 2012), Singapore (increase in sales of 42% compared to Q1 2012), and Thailand (increase in sales of 40% compared to Q1 2012). The strong growth in tax-refunded sales is testament to the Chic Outlet Shopping Villages’ strategy of developing a customised shopping and travel experience for the Asian international traveller.
Q) What are you doing to promote the Chic Outlet Shopping Villages in these markets?
The success of Chic Outlet Shopping in driving Shopping Tourism can be in part attributed to its engagement with consumers in their local market. The Villages are represented in 14 non-EU markets by a network of sales representatives and PR agencies. We work to build partnerships that will attract Asian customers. For example, we have frequent flyer partnerships with airlines such as Air China and Cathay Pacific, offering exclusive luxury shopping benefits at the Chic Outlet Shopping Villages to members of their FFPs.
The Villages regularly host exhibitions and events to celebrate annual cultural traditions and seasonal festivities, such as Chinese New Year and the Chic Summer Festival. And our ChicOutletShopping.com website is provided in 14 languages, including Chinese.
Q) What type of goods are most popular among Asian shoppers at the Chic Outlet Shopping Villages?
Our Asian customer understands the integrity and value of luxury brands, and has high expectations. We find that our Asian customers are attracted to many of the international designer brands we have on offer such as Yves Saint Laurent, Missoni, Mulberry and Moncler. Equally, they are drawn to niche European fashion brands they may not be able to find at home, including, at Wertheim Village, Closed, Drykorn and Schumacher; Philipp Plein, Bogner and Baldessarini at Ingolstadt Village; at Bicester Village, Temperley London and Vivienne Westwood; and Antik Batik and Sandro at La Vallée Village.
Q) Are you engaging with local tourism authorities or travel companies to promote Chic Outlet Shopping Villages as part of tour itineraries?
We are continuously looking to build relationships with the travel trade in the region. The Chic Outlet Shopping Villages work closely with the travel trade and are represented by Aviareps with offices in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Korea. Our key partners in Singapore include SA Tours, Chan Brothers, ASA Travel and in Malaysia we are working with Holiday Tours and Travel, Malaysian Harmony and Tours, Mayflower Acme, Parlo Tours.
We also offer our partner agents net rates on our range of travel trade products which are available to book online.
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