WITH FLAGSHIP NODES now established beautifully strategically and successful in Hong Kong and Shanghai (greater China’s shining hubs of fashion and premium consumerism), the Abercrombie & Fitch brand is set to continue the solidification of its foundations in China by now venturing into opening the world’s first mall-based international A&F stores.
As a landmark for being the first of its kind and in the Middle Kingdom, the debuting shop of this new lineup will be purveying its FIERCE wares at the recently opened, world-class Chengdu IFS shopping mall. Inaugurated on 14 January 2014 as the flagship project of Hong Kong-based developer, Wharf Holdings, Inc., in mainland China, the greater Chengdu International Financial Square complex encompasses this “flagship” shopping mall as well as two Grade-A office buildings, a five-star hotel, and upscale residential installments. Spanning over 760,000 sqm (roughly 8.2 million sqft), and realized under the concept of “a city within a city” (in collaboration with international, award-winning design firm Benoy) with an estimated investment of 16 billion CNY (around US$2.577 billion), Chengdu IFS is heralded as the next-generation regional commercial landmark awe, and it is situated at Chengdu’s utmost prime real estate, at the intersection of Hongxing Road and Dacisi Road, at the heart of the city’s business district…
“Chengdu IFS is broad in scale. Upon its opening, walking along Hongxing Road will become a completely new experience combining fashion, art, and lifestyle. This project [will usher] in an international city landmark in not only Chengdu but also the west of China, boosting the growth of luxury market[,] and it will become a trend-setter for living in Chengdu providing one-stop- top-notch international shopping in the region. One could experience the genuine, cosmopolitan lifestyle without leaving the ‘city’.” – Doreen Yuk-Fong Lee, Executive Director, Wharf Holdings, 16 December 2013 press release
The exceptional mall itself measures up at 210,000 sqm (roughly 2.3 million sqft) across six levels and two underground levels, and it includes tenants as Dolce & Gabbana, Lane Crawford, and Prada as well 90 new-in-the-city shops such as Dior, Dior Homme, Chanel, Burberry, Balenciaga, Christian Louboutin, Giorgio Armani, Tom Ford, Valentino, Van Cleef and Arpels, and, too, Abercrombie & Fitch. A&F Chengdu in particular has direct access to the Chengdu IFS complex’s pedestrian infrastructure.
The selection of this geolocation – instead, per se, of Beijing (a Tier I city only along with Shanghai) or an East Coast Tier II Chinese city – is markedly intelligent. Choosing to open its first mall-based Chinese store in Chengdu, Abercrombie & Fitch places its next retail pin in the greater Chinese market tactically in the mainland China interior and that area’s leading node of industry and consumerism growth. (Chengdu has been ranked as leading the list of new upcoming Tier I Chinese cities, listed as third by Forbes in highest luxury goods expenditures, and has been recognized as China’s fourth “fashion city”; the city, capital of the Sichuan province, also is a cultural Chinese icon and home of the renowned Giant Pandas population as attraction, too). The fact that the development of the Chengdu IFS complex fell, by fate, in perfect timing with A&F expansion plans, and that the company subsequently zeroed in on that opportunity, is the cherry on top. It’s ultimate perfection, and it optimizes Abercrombie’s flourishing business groundwork for blooming brand awareness and retail operations across the Chinese market.
Check out these images from the team of A&F Chengdu (store #11250, CN-ANF) now nearing the final preparations phase behind its beautiful, A&F-branded hoarding wall…
The store has been in full-swing recruiting and interviewing and even recently welcomed its first MIT!
Upon opening, A&F Chengdu will become the first Abercrombie & Fitch Co. retail store in the Chinese interior (as all HCo stores in greater China so far have been on/near the East Coast). This much anticipated Abercrombie & Fitch opens doors to awe-galore on August 28th…
Stay FIERCE!
A&F Chengdu (store #11250, CN-ANF)
Chengdu IFS
No.1 Section 3 Hongxing Road
Chengdu, 51 610021
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