CARTIER OPENS NEW BOUTIQUE IN HONG KONG

CARTIER, THE NUMBER ONE LUXURY JEWELRY BRAND IN CHINA, CONTINUES TO BUILD UP ITS PRESENCE IN THE ASIAN MARKET WITH THE OPENING OF YET ANOTHER STUNNING FLAGSHIP ON FRIDAY. THE NEW STORE, WHICH SPANS 900 SQUARE METERS, IS HOUSED INSIDE THE PRINCE'S BUILDING, AN UPSCALE SHOPPING CENTER IN HONG KONG. THE THREE-STORY BOUTIQUE REPLACES CARTIER'S OLD STORE, OPENED IN 1970, THAT WAS LOCATED ON THE GROUND FLOOR OF THE SAME BUILDING. THE NEW SPACE IS OPULENTLY DECORATED WITH OAK-CLAD AND BRONZE INTERIORS, CHANDELIERS AND MIRRORED WALLS. IN ADDITION TO CARTIER'S FULL RANGE OF TIMEPIECES AND FINE JEWELRY, THE NEW PANTHER DE CARTIER COLLECTION WILL BE ON VIEW HERE THOUGH ITS OFFICIAL RELEASE ISN'T SLATED UNTIL NEXT YEAR. THE PANTHER DE CARTIER COLLECTION WILL BE CRAFTED IN JADE, DIAMONDS AND JADEITE AND IS EXPECTED TO BE A HIT AMONG LOCAL SHOPPERS SINCE THE CHINESE CONSIDER JADE AN AUSPICIOUS STONE. CARTIER TOLD THE WALL STREET JOURNAL THAT IT EXPERIENCED DOUBLE DIGIT GROWTH IN ASIA SINCE THE FINANCIAL CRISIS TWO YEARS AGO. CARTIER, WHICH INTENDS TO DOUBLE ITS BOUTIQUES ACROSS CHINA IN THE NEXT TWO TO THREE YEARS, IS HARDLY THE ONLY WESTERN LUXURY BRAND WITH ITS EYES SET ON THE ASIAN MARKET. TIFFANY & CO RECENTLY ANNOUNCED PLANS TO OPEN 25-30 NEW STORES IN CHINA IN THE NEXT THREE YEARS. AND, FRENCH JEWELER VAN CLEEF & ARPELS OPENED FOUR NEW BOUTIQUES THIS YEAR, BRINGING THE TOTAL NUMBER OF SHOPS IN CHINA FROM FOUR TO EIGHT.