The jewelry and watch manufacturer Bulgari is aiming for a new record year: “2021 was already a record year for Bulgari, and this year will be significantly better. We are growing in the high double-digit percentage range for both watches and jewelry,” said Bulgari boss Jean-Christophe Babin in an interview with “NZZ” (Saturday edition).
The corona measures in China are still a challenge. “Especially in the second quarter, we felt these restrictions strongly. Most of the stores in the country were closed, at the same time there were supply chain problems, so e-commerce did not work smoothly either,” said Babin.
The situation has now improved, but to date there are many restrictions in China, such as flights being canceled at the last minute. “Like many luxury goods manufacturers, we are also wondering how quickly China will find its way back to normal life and when the Chinese will be allowed to travel to Macau and Hong Kong again, for example,” said Babin.
Despite developments in recent months, Bulgari has not adjusted its strategy for China: “We remain very optimistic about business in China. We have just had two occasions where we presented expensive jewelry, first in Beijing and then in Shanghai. In both places, customer demand has been very high,” said Babin.
The Geneva Watch Days watch fair, which begins on Monday, is slowly becoming a really important event. “We started with 17 brands, this year there are already 40,” said Babin.
They “are the place for us to show our expertise in Haute Horlogerie. In terms of date, the fair gives us a boost for the last four months of the year, which are very important for the sector because then there is a lot of consumption,” said baby First comes Golden Week in China, then the Hindu festival of lights Diwali, Thanksgiving in the US and finally Christmas and New Year in the western world. (dpa)