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A Shop For All Seasons

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The opening of The Venetian Macao was a turning point for the local retail industry. Ten years ago, Macau was known as the gaming destination of Asia and not much more. Today, all that has changed, but the road has not always been easy.
 
“We started marketing the Venetian back in 2005 and back in those days it was a bit of a challenge because we didn’t really understand the market. Everyone kept saying ‘Macau is for gaming and Hong Kong is for shopping’”, explains David Sylvester, Senior Vice President of Retail at Sands Retail. 
 
The Venetian was the first major shopping centre in Macau, which gave Sands the upper hand in the market. Soon after came Macau’s first luxury mall, The Shoppes at Four Seasons, now the most successful mall in the world, boasting the highest turn-over per square foot – US$5,500/sq ft, followed by Florida’s Bal Harbour mall at US$3,000/sq ft.
 
Sands have opened a shopping mall at each of their resorts, each with a different target market. The Venetian is the high-street mall, with more affordable brands such as Zara, Jack & Wills and soon-to-open H&M. The Shoppes at Four Seasons are the pinnacle of luxury shopping with names like Chanel, Miu Miu and Hermes. Meanwhile, Sands Cotai Central is a more family-orientated resort and that is reflected in the kind of retail on offer, such as Toy Cavern and more recently, luxury children’s wear – Polo Ralph Lauren and even Moschino and Armani Junior. 
 
“Our logic is that the sort of customer that is going to be attracted to that hotel is the sort of customer that will be shopping there too”, says Sylvester. 
 
The Parisian will be the last piece of the puzzle, labeled as “creative luxury”.
 
“It sits between The Four Seasons and The Venetian, and is more of a premium offer. What is Paris all about? It’s about being creative and being at the forefront of fashion”, explains Sylvester. 
 
The new mall will be introducing 80 percent new brands to the market, such as Sonia Rykiel, Isabel Marant and Carven.
 
With steady growth in sales and a dominant presence, Sylvester is nonetheless well aware of the need for Sands to stay ahead of the retail game. 
 
“We are not lethargic, we know competition is coming. We realize that to stay ahead we we have to constantly look at trends, and those trends are saying that the Chinese market is becoming more mature and more style savvy. There is a lot of retail coming to Macau and we welcome competition!”
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