From November 5 to 10, the 7th China International Import Expo (CIIE) was held at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai. For the fifth consecutive year, Luxe.CO sent a special team to the consumer goods section of CIIE, covering multiple categories, including luxury, fashion, beauty, sports, and outdoor goods, visiting over 600 brands and exhibitors.
The theme of this year’s consumer goods section at CIIE was “New Era, Shared Future.” Many senior executives from globally renowned brands gathered at the event, with some arriving nearly a week in advance from overseas to be part of it.
Luxe.CO summarized key statements from 21 of these executives, representing companies such as Asics, BVLGARI, Cartier, Coty, DFS, Dolce & Gabbana, Estee Lauder, Hennessy, IKEA, Kering, Galeries Lafayette, L’Oréal, lululemon, LVMH, Muji, Nike, Richemont, Sephora, Tapestry, Uniqlo, and Vacheron Constantin (listed in alphabetical order).
These statements focus on four main themes:
- Continuing to invest in the Chinese Mainland market and establishing deep connections with consumers
- Optimism about the development prospects of Hainan Free Trade Port
- Enhancing local R&D capabilities to deliver high-performance, sustainable, and innovative products
- Committing to promoting cultural exchange between East and West
Continuing to Invest in the Chinese Mainland Market and Establishing Deep Connections with Consumers
- Laurent Boillot, President and CEO of Hennessy:
“Our commitment to developing the Chinese Mainland market remains unwavering. For us, it is essential to continue the conversation and maintain our connection with consumers.”
In the next phase, Hennessy will focus on enriching store experiences by offering activities such as cocktail-making and tasting events and will also introduce workshops that combine Cognac with Pu’er tea.
- André Maestrini, Executive Vice President of International Business at lululemon:
“Starting our journey at CIIE marks the beginning of a new decade of growth and innovation in the Chinese Mainland. The Chinese Mainland market has become a major growth engine for lululemon globally. By fiscal year 2026, we anticipate the Chinese Mainland to become lululemon’s second-largest market worldwide, with over 200 stores. We are committed to deepening our presence in China, investing in the market, and expanding our potential to connect with more people.”
- Nicolas Morineaux, CEO of Galeries Lafayette China:
“By 2025, Galeries Lafayette will increase its operational flexibility through franchise operations and hybrid models. Galeries Lafayette will represent not only a traditional standalone department store in a major city but also in-store concepts in first-tier cities and localized shopping centers branded as ‘Galeries Lafayette’ in second- and third-tier cities. In the future, more consumers in China will have easy access to the French fashion essence of Galeries Lafayette in their own cities. Fashion has always been the core of our business, and in the coming year, Galeries Lafayette will strengthen its collaborations with designers and brands by discovering and incubating emerging designer brands, collaborating with renowned designers, and establishing fashion awards to further solidify its core business segment.”
- Tomoyoshi Shimizu, Chairman and General Manager of MUJI China:
“Currently, about 70% of MUJI’s household goods and food products in China are locally developed. This is a milestone achievement and an important outcome of our localization strategy. The Chinese Mainland market is vital to MUJI, and listening to the needs of Chinese consumers enables us to produce products more suited to this market. At the same time, we are deeply inspired by the allure of ‘Chinese design’ and are increasing efforts to bring it to the global market.”
- Ding Xia, General Manager of Sephora Greater China:
“Sephora is dedicated to connecting Chinese consumers with outstanding brands and products rich in cultural heritage worldwide. In the future, Sephora will continue to fulfill its beauty promise to consumers in China, bringing a more diverse range of brands and services to the market.”
- Joy Fan, President and CEO of The Estée Lauder Companies China:
“This is Estée Lauder’s sixth participation in CIIE. Through this platform, we celebrate our longstanding relationship with the Chinese Mainland and are committed to strengthening our cooperation with local consumers and partners. Chinese consumers are increasingly becoming an essential source of inspiration for us. We have full confidence in the Chinese Mainland market and aim to enhance communication so that Chinese inspiration and global opportunities can benefit each other. Standing at a new starting point, we will continue to rely on the CIIE platform to innovate locally, bringing high-end beauty products and experiences that exceed Chinese consumers’ expectations.”
- Sue Nabi, CEO of Coty Group:
“We will continue our robust expansion in the Chinese Mainland market over the coming years. Coty is still at an early stage in China; we are still learning, understanding, and adapting. However, we aim to grow in this vibrant market and achieve mutual prosperity with the Chinese Mainland.”
- Aleksey Efremov, Senior Vice President of IKEA China:
“From new products to new services, IKEA continually leverages the powerful spillover effect of CIIE to accelerate the transformation of exhibits into goods, bringing more innovations that meet local consumer needs and home aspirations to households in China and globally. This year, we further expanded our product launches, hoping to accompany more Chinese consumers in creating a better daily life.”
- Alfonso Dolce, Global CEO of Dolce & Gabbana:
“Our journey in the Chinese Mainland began in 2004 when we opened our first store in Shanghai’s Bund area. Over the years, we have witnessed China’s rapid economic growth and high-quality development. This dynamic city is full of energy, creativity, and opportunity, inspiring us to explore new possibilities continuously. Chinese consumers have a growing demand for high-quality products with creative aesthetics, and we are very optimistic about the market’s future. We look forward to further expanding our presence in China and deepening our communication with consumers here.
In July this year, we were honored to receive the Regional Headquarters Certification for Multinational Companies from the Shanghai Municipal Government, a testament to Dolce & Gabbana’s long-term commitment to the Chinese Mainland market and its local consumers.”
Optimism About the Development Prospects of Hainan Free Trade Port
- Andrew Wu, President of LVMH Greater China:
“CIIE is organized for all of China, so it must naturally include the future of Hainan. The international luxury industry places great emphasis on the Hainan and Sanya markets. As the world’s largest luxury goods company, LVMH represents the entire global luxury industry.
Over the past 40 years, benefiting from China’s reform and opening up, LVMH has grown alongside the Chinese market. The development of the Hainan Free Trade Port is a significant step in China’s deepening reform and opening up, and LVMH firmly supports this national strategy. We are delighted to go beyond the boundaries of our brands and group, taking an industry-wide perspective by organizing multi-party discussions about Hainan’s future and international involvement.”
- Nancy Liu, President of DFS China:
“The consumption potential in China remains enormous, and DFS is optimistic about the Chinese market and the duty-free retail opportunities in the Hainan Free Trade Port. Over the past 20 years, the global luxury industry has grown at a double-digit rate. While the growth rate has slowed in recent years due to the large base, the incremental scale remains significant.
DFS plans to conduct a survey on the expectations of major international brands after the Hainan Free Trade Port fully opens. Through this initiative, we aim to build a bridge for communication between the government and international brands. This represents DFS’s industry commitment, and we hope to foster multi-party collaboration to achieve shared success during the policy implementation.”
Enhancing Local R&D Capabilities to Deliver High-Performance, Sustainable, and Innovative Products
- Matthew Nurse, Vice President of Nike Sports Research Lab:
“The Nike Sports Research Lab is the brain behind Nike’s innovations, fostering many groundbreaking ideas. Strengthening insights into athletes will help us explore more possibilities to better serve them. With the opening of Nike’s China Sports Research Lab ‘Form’ this August, its integration into retail stores, and future collaborations with Shanghai University of Sport, Nike will enhance its local insights, R&D, and innovation capabilities in the Chinese market, further fulfilling our long-term commitment to Chinese runners.”
(At CIIE, Nike signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Shanghai University of Sport to collaborate on breakthrough sports science research, focusing on improving athletic performance and reducing injury risks for Chinese athletes. This will support Nike’s local innovation and the creation of better products and experiences for Chinese consumers.)
- Yann Bozec, President of Tapestry Asia Pacific and CEO of COACH Asia Pacific:
“After years of deep engagement with the Chinese market, China has become not just one of the most critical markets for our group and brands but also a continuous source of inspiration for innovation. With the momentum of CIIE, we look forward to collaborating with more partners to explore innovative cooperation models and bring new experiences and inspirations to Chinese consumers.”
(COACH has partnered with universities such as Donghua University and Tsinghua University to launch youth talent development programs, creating a platform to nurture emerging Chinese fashion innovators.)
- Lan Zhenzhen, President of Public Affairs for L’Oréal North Asia and China:
“Sustainable consumption is not only a challenge for a company but also a shared goal that requires collaboration with like-minded partners. At L’Oréal, we are leading efforts to engage upstream and downstream partners in the supply chain to run this ‘green marathon’ together. Currently, challenges such as limited options, low cost-effectiveness, low trust, and a lack of transparency in information make sustainable products harder to adopt. We hope that ‘green marathon’ participants can work together to solve these pain points and challenges, ensuring sustainability doesn’t become an extra burden for consumers.”
- Gao Kai, President of Asics China:
“As a fifth-time participant at CIIE, Asics has gained much from the event. Participating not only enhanced our brand’s recognition and influence in the Chinese market but also allowed Chinese consumers to better understand our innovative products and technologies. In the future, we look forward to upgrading alongside CIIE, fully committed to creating high-quality sports equipment centered on consumer needs, helping more people embrace a new lifestyle of heart-centric sports.”
(At CIIE, Asics introduced the Nimbus Mirai, a recyclable high-performance running shoe, marking its domestic debut. The shoe’s upper is made of uniform polyester fiber material without additional coatings, making it easier to recycle. Testing confirmed that 87.3% of the shoe’s upper materials can be successfully recycled into new polyester materials for reuse in running shoe production.)
- Serena Dong, Director of Public Relations for Uniqlo China:
“The future of an ideal lifestyle cannot be separated from the support of technological innovation. Technological fabrics can bring more possibilities to clothing and transform everyday lifestyles. LifeWear represents a fusion of art and science, and for us, science has always been the foundation of apparel design. Based on consumers’ aspirations and needs for present and future living, Uniqlo continues to invest in technological R&D, combining fabric innovation with daily wear while maintaining overall affordability, helping consumers achieve a better life.”
(Uniqlo is committed to creating a new clothing industry model under the concept of ‘LifeWear = Sustainability.’ Each year, it produces over 10 million sustainable clothing items made from recycled materials, including fleece jackets with 100% recycled fabric, PUFFTECH padded jackets with 20% recycled filling, and HEATTECH thermal underwear with partially recycled fibers.)
Committing to Promoting Cultural Exchange Between East and West
- Andrew Wu, President of LVMH Greater China:
“The foundation of Sino-French friendship is built on people-to-people exchanges, cultural and commercial interactions, and significant communication. International luxury brands also serve as cultural ambassadors, and we all have a responsibility to promote this ongoing exchange. CIIE is not merely a trade platform; it is also a platform for cultural and artistic exchange. For international brands, participating in CIIE is a key activity to foster cultural exchange between East and West.”
- Jenny Gu, CEO of Richemont China:
“CIIE provides Richemont with a vast and far-reaching platform, allowing us to showcase our brands’ rich heritage and outstanding innovation to China and the world. We take great pride in demonstrating how Richemont brands continue to evolve, presenting timeless craftsmanship in innovative ways while staying true to our cultural values.”
- Caroline Cai, President of Kering Greater China:
“Kering is participating in CIIE for the sixth consecutive year with all its brands, bringing sincere commitment and creative brilliance. Through this international open platform, we aim to foster East-West cultural integration, showcase the craftsmanship of tradition and innovation, and strengthen interactions with Chinese consumers and partners, jointly building a sustainable future for the luxury fashion industry.”
Kering has set up a special “Yunjang Pavilion” exhibition area where Boucheron’s oldest French high jewelry artisan demonstrates the assembly technique of the “question mark” necklace.
- Jean-Christophe Babin, CEO of Bulgari:
“Two thousand years ago, although China and Rome were separated by great distances and had limited interaction, both cultures independently chose the lion as a symbol of imperial power and authority. This is remarkable and shows the underlying commonality behind the apparent differences in Chinese and Italian cultural arts. Bulgari is unique among luxury brands, being inspired by art from its inception and ultimately growing into an outstanding jewelry and watch brand.
Through Bulgari’s art initiatives, we strive to preserve artistic inspiration for future generations so that tomorrow’s jewelry designers can continue to be nurtured by both classical and contemporary art. In China, we have held exhibitions in cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Chengdu. In 2023, the ‘Serpenti Factory’ art project world tour was launched in Shanghai and concluded in Beijing this year. We are deeply honored to showcase Bulgari’s works in China, as this reflects the essence of our brand identity and our mission to give back to the arts.”
- Cécile Naour, CEO of Cartier China:
“At Cartier, ‘heritage’ is reflected through creativity, style, and exquisite craftsmanship. This year at CIIE, we are pleased to share this value with local audiences through the Portraits of Women Artisans series. Demonstrating our commitment to a vibrant historical and cultural heritage, Cartier promotes cultural dialogue and exchange with China through exhibitions, relic restoration, and various collaborations. We are honored that the Shanghai Museum recently unveiled a new exhibition at its East Hall, ‘Magnificent Garden: The Art of Cartier,’ showcasing the artistic magic encapsulated in over a century of creations.”
- Yang Zhengfeng, Chief Executive Officer of Vacheron Constantin China:
“We are honored to participate in CIIE for the fifth consecutive year and truly appreciate the rich innovations and cultural exchanges fostered by this event, aligning perfectly with Vacheron Constantin’s dedication to fine watchmaking and cultural inclusiveness. We deeply value our long-standing connection with China and remain passionately committed to art and culture. In the future, we will continue to provide our clients with enhanced experiences and exceptional fine watchmaking masterpieces that celebrate the beauty of time and art.”
| Image Credit: Luxe.CO, official brand press releases
| Editor: Elisa
