Luxury House Balenciaga Opens Its Biggest Store In China

Luxury House Balenciaga Opens Its Biggest Store In China

It’s shaping up to be a great month for Balenciaga in China. At a time when brands are struggling to bolster their presence in the country, the Kering owned house has outdone them all, setting and then beating the same record all in the space of a week.

On December 12, it opened a 940-square-meter store in the Taikoo Hui complex on Shanghai’s Nanjing Road, claiming the title of the biggest store in China. This was short lived: less than a week later, the luxury house unveiled its newly renovated Sanlitun flagship in Beijing on December 18—at over 1,204-square-meter space and 4 stories.

Both spaces are imposing structures incorporating Balenciaga’s raw architecture concept based on creating an experiential retail environment by blending urban and industrial textures.

Retail Strategy

The sales of owner Kering Group fell 16% on a comparable basis to €3.79 billion in the third quarter of 2024 which was below analyst expectations of a 12% decline. The group categories Balenciaga under its ‘Other Houses’ division (along with Alexander McQueen) which reported a drop of 14%. It’s against this backdrop of weakened sales that many luxury names—dependent on deals with shopping malls and department stores that are further reliant on footfall—have seen setbacks to their openings, according to reports.

Not so Balenciaga which seems to have little trouble pushing through its doors. Last month, it announced the appointment of Gianfranco Gianangeli as CEO, replacing Cédric Charbit who moved to Saint Laurent. At the time, Kering deputy CEO Francesca Bellettini praised Gianangeli’s “extensive expertise and vision.” A dedicated China plan lies at the core of these.

Amber Wu, a China marketing consultant with over a decade of experience, agrees, stating this aggressive push shows the brand’s sustained strategy in China—one based on their “continued efforts in connecting with especially Gen Z consumers who value experience, innovation, and sustainability.” Little touches in these areas include unveiling a playlist with the pianist Wu Muye recently. Ahead of its global launch in 2025, it is offering the Modu Bag —debuted during the Spring 2025 runway in Shanghai and is named after the city—early to consumers exclusively at the Nanjing store. The top floor of the Beijing space consists of a private shopping suite—inspired by the couture boutique in Paris with smoked glass cabinets and private spaces ensuring what the brand calls in a release an “elevated client experience.”

Consultant Wu adds: “In today’s economic slowdown when many brands only look for short-term growth via live-streaming sales, such long-term brand thinking in brick-and-mortar shows resilience which should, ultimately, pay off.” Meanwhile, this is being reinforced by e-commerce on JD.com which opened in September.

Archival works on display

To mark the re-opening in China’s capital, a dedicated space within the flagship will house 8 archival ensembles—4 by the founder Cristóbal Balenciaga and 4 by the current creative director Demna—highlighting shared conceptual elements in their work. The house states that each look reflects the ongoing dialogue between the founder and its current creative director, bridging heritage with contemporary innovation. The selection includes green couture evening gowns from 1959 and 2022; Manila-shawl-inspired embroidered gowns from 1960 and 2021; a skirt suit from 1960 and a 2017 long-sleeved dress printed with carnations; and black silk column gowns from 1962 and 2024.

The director of the annual fashion film festival ASVOFF, Diane Pernet, who saw the couture collection in July, says that the work of Demna is “as visionary as its founder” Cristóbal. She was on the jury of Demna’s graduate class in Antwerp and among the very first to see his earliest work. “We are no longer in the 1950s and the couture client has changed. When I saw an original piece from Cristóbal and Demna side by side at the re-see, it’s not disregarding anything from the past but is firmly in the future,” she explains.

Beijing will also feature 8 archival looks from The Subtleties of a Dialogue exhibition shown in Paris as part of Kering’s celebration of the European Heritage Days in September.

Finally, ever the futurist, Demna’s retail spaces include dedicated Apple Vision Pro headsets, allowing visitors to explore the latest in Balenciaga X Apple Vision Pro’s ongoing innovations.

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