Chic Outlet Shopping’s La Roca Village, close to Barcelona, is featured here
Chic Outlet Shopping, which counts markets such as China, Singapore and Malaysia as its top producers, is pursuing travel experts in the region through commissionable packages, marketing support in brochures and fam trips, as it gears up for the opening of its first shopping village in Asia in 2013.
Having established nine villages across Europe, the 10th will be in a lakeside location in Suzhou, China, Chic Outlet Shopping head of tourism, Ian Stazicker, told TTG Asia at ITB Berlin. Scheduled to open in October, it will be similar in size to the collection’s largest village – Bicester near London – which has around 140 stores offering savings of up to 60 per cent.
“There will be a huge focus on the domestic and regional markets, and we have to make sure it does not dilute Europe’s market share,” he said, adding that he was not too worried as only the first-tier cities had been tapped so far. Japan and South Korea are targets, while Vietnam and Cambodia are emerging as markets.
Based on 2011 figures, China is currently Chic Outlet Shopping’s fastest-growing market (79 per cent), followed by Singapore/Malaysia (69 per cent) and Russia (65 per cent).
Stazicker said the strategy was to arm tour operators with product knowledge and help to “find a spot in their itineraries”, with the selling point being that “everyone likes a bargain”, especially in the current economic climate. It is also buying space in brochures.
For FITs, standalone shopping packages including transport, meals and gift cards for retail spend are available. These allow travel experts to earn an average of 10 per cent commission.
A 10-12 day fam trip for six to eight key partners in the region is being scheduled around this month, incorporating two or three villages. Chic Outlet Shopping will also be exhibiting at this year’s ITB Asia for the first time.
