Chanel reinvents luxury experience at Shanghai’s Plaza 66

With the addition of a brand new watches and high quality jewelry house, Chanel has made a definitive assertion on the way forward for luxury retail with the numerous renovation of its landmark boutique at Shanghai’s Plaza 66. Going past a mere refresh, this strategic investment- described by an govt as a necessary moment- solidifies the model’s profound dedication to the Chinese market.
Chanel trend and Chanel SAS’s president Bruno Pavlovsky, affirmed to FashionNetwork.com in an unique interview the placement’s significance, calling it “one of the key boutiques that we have in the world.” The main goal of the renovation is to optimise the consumer journey, adapting to the post-pandemic development of purchasers returning to high-contact bodily retail areas.

The Plaza 66 boutique is positioned as Chanel’s strategic core in China, focusing intently on “offering the best of Chanel.” The location holds unparalleled strategic worth, standing as considered one of Chanel’s most important world boutiques, persistently rating as one of many top-performing places within the nation, and located in one of the vital commercially energetic luxury malls.
(*66*) by famend architect and long-time Chanel collaborator Peter Marino, this main renovation is a dynamic expression of Parisian refinement and home codes. The beautiful, three-storey house presents a very luxurious purchasing experience, that includes expansive shows of ready-to-wear, baggage, and footwear, and introducing a brand new, unique Watches & Fine Jewellery boutique.

The house is meticulously crafted to equally serve the model’s two core consumer segments: established high purchasers and new patrons making a singular buy. The goal is to make sure all guests encounter one of the best service doable, a philosophy signifying the very best diploma of subtle and significant model engagement.

Chanel employs a differentiated technique throughout its three key Shanghai locations- Plaza 66, IFC, and Peninsula- consciously avoiding a standardised method. While Plaza 66 and IFC operate as the first high-traffic hubs, welcoming the vast majority of the model’s clientele, the Peninsula location is positioned as a novel vacation spot boutique. The latter retailer caters particularly to touring VICs searching for a extra intimate, much less standard experience, described metaphorically as a “little chain” to attach with these purchasers. The unifying precept throughout the whole community is the “one boutique is one story” mannequin, which ensures that every location narrates a definite, city-relevant narrative, reinforcing its function as an experience generator slightly than a easy replication.
The model’s success is anchored in twin strategic pillars: innovation and emotion. Chanel firmly asserts it “never replicates” a boutique; and brings real worth to the native context slightly than participating in a mere competitors for measurement. “We never replicate,” stated Pavlovsky. “Every market is a specific market with a dedicated brief. For each boutique, we sit down with Peter Marino and the team to ensure the design is adequate for that city and its context within the mall. We are not interested in competing to have the biggest boutique. Our focus is purely on what is best for our client- what are their expectations, and what do they want to see from Chanel. What we have achieved in China, through this dedicated approach, is our great fortune and the true centre of our success.”

This deal with bespoke design can also be mirrored within the launch of the Chanel & Moi initiative, deemed “key” and “strategic” for cementing future consumer relationships. This program transforms beforehand “invisible” after-sales companies into “visible” experiences, permitting purchasers to watch craftspeople and technicians engaged on their merchandise. By validating the significance of the aftercare second alongside the buying second, the model fosters long-term relationships constructed on belief and consideration, guaranteeing purchasers really feel “taken into consideration,” past the preliminary sale.
Pavlovsky says, “The Chanel & Moi initiative is extremely important for us and for the House of Chanel. Previously, this essential service was largely invisible. By bringing everything under the Chanel & Moi banner, we aim to make this dedication to service visible to our clients, while simultaneously making our teams proud to deliver it.”

By fostering an setting the place purchasers really feel actually “taken into consideration,” this method is incomes deeper belief, permitting purchasers to really feel snug elevating considerations or discussing product modifications. This constructive shift is seen not as an in a single day transformation, however as a steady “journey” that has positioned the model in a considerably higher place than it occupied simply two years in the past, with steady enhancements anticipated within the coming years.

The model is assured that its present technique is transferring in the suitable path, evidenced by its seen outcomes. Crucially, this constructive momentum is closely amplified by the Chinese market, the place the native group is lauded as a “super activator.” This group’s distinctive potential to implement and embody the client-centric technique ensures that the specified stage of buyer engagement is being realised effectively. In summation, Chanel is counting on sustained effort, the strategic visibility of its companies, and superior native execution in markets like China to construct stronger, deeper consumer relationships that safe its place for the long run.
Chanel maintains an optimistic outlook for the rest of 2025 and into 2026, pushed by its constructive enterprise efficiency. However, in response to Pavlovsky, the model’s components for sustained success is measured overwhelmingly by consumer experience and satisfaction. He highlights that providing one of the best experience makes the gross sales course of a “follower”- which means income naturally tails distinctive service.
Consequently, Chanel’s technique is targeted on persistently delivering superior engagement and merchandise to strengthen the model’s distinctive identification in trend and luxury. Despite going through an financial setting that’s “not always easy,” Pavlovsky is assured within the efficiency of the Chanel groups, making their constructive forecast for the long run sturdy.

By Sissi Chu