De Beers Opens First Hong Kong Jewelry Store
February 28, 08 by IDEX Online Staff Reporter
De Beers has opened its first diamond jewelry store in Hong Kong. The 2,200-square-foot store is located in the Central district, within the city’s premier luxury shopping mall, The Landmark.
As reported on WWD.com, the store location was chosen after a two-year search. "We have been looking to open a store in Hong Kong for a while, considering what Hong Kong is to the luxury market, but we waited until we found the right location," commented De Beers CEO Guy Leymarie.
"For us location is decisive – we would rather open later and have the right location rather than be in the wrong location."
The store is being operated as a franchise by Lane Crawford Joyce Group, which is also set to open an additional De Beers store in the Tsim Sha Tsui shopping district later in the year and a Macau store in a few months.
In the area of sales, Levmarie commented, “We are looking for substantial sales. [We expect] Hong Kong to be in our top five stores in the world," although he did not provide specifics.
The store’s product offerings consist of a half and half mix between high jewelry and “accessible” jewelry. In order to allow for “side-by-side” viewing, the jewelry, watches and loose stones are displayed in cases that can be approached from all sides. There are also two VIP rooms for private viewing.
