Luxury shopping holds firm

IT’S not surprising that lacklustre Chinese consumption is taking a big bite out of the luxury market including Singapore. Add to that the relentless price hikes which have pushed the cost of iconic handbags, watches, jewellery and other products up by an average of 50 per cent in the past four years, putting them out of reach of aspirational buyers.

What does that mean for luxury retail? All is not lost, as we find out in Friday’s issue of BTLifestyle. Luxury brands have instead been investing in long-term brand equity and desirability, say analysts and observers that we spoke to. Besides courting high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth customers, the brands are also crafting exclusive experiences to ring up sales. Find out more in our exclusive report.

Meanwhile, if you’re planning your next holiday, you might want to add Belgium to your travel list. It may have a serious reputation as the de facto capital of Europe, and is home to the European Union and political organisations. However, it has an unbuttoned side too. Read about the lively art, architecture and fashion scene in its capital Brussels, and discover the fun side of this “staid” country.

In the Arts, it’s time for the Singapore International Festival of Arts, which kicks off with three genre-busting works. And in Dining, latch on to the Korean dining wave sweeping through Singapore at Gu:um, the newest contemporary grill serving up a wide selection of meat and creative comfort food.

For all this and more, don’t miss your issue of BT this Friday.