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NEW YORK (BLOOMBERG) – World-famous business districts are preparing, and preparing, for a holiday season the likes of which they have never seen before.
Many consumers are still wary of visiting stores, with the coronavirus pandemic rekindled in much of the world. Travel restrictions will also reduce the number of wealthy tourists typically relied on to spend loads of cash at this time of year.
But luxury stores are still doing their best to distance themselves socially. They are filling windows with holiday displays in a bid to save a crucial holiday season after Covid-19 wreaked havoc on retailers from Tokyo to New York.
Here’s a look at what it’s like on the ground on these important roads as Black Friday (November 27) approaches.
Bond Street, London
“In the words of the Queen, 2020 will certainly be considered one of the most annus horribilis”, for retailers in the famous luxury shopping destination, said Katie Thomas, associate director of Bond Street and Mayfair at the New West End company. the organization behind the 600 retailers, restaurateurs, hoteliers in that part of town.
Bond Street has been hit hard by its dependence on foreign buyers and a lack of office workers. Store visits had already been cut by about half when new Covid-19 restrictions closed locations earlier this month. “It’s the perfect storm,” Thomas said.
Stores ranging from Cartier to Chanel aren’t waiting for their reopening to get ready for the holiday season – the holiday lights come on earlier than usual. And when they can reopen on December 3, the Bond Street Christmas tree will be revealed with a marching band without the carol singers. If there are lines to enter the stores, the employees plan to serve hot chocolate.
Champs Elysees, Paris
The spread of the virus has led to the second closure in France, forcing non-essential stores to close on October 30.
“If we don’t reopen on December 1, it will be extremely serious,” said Edouard Lefebvre, general manager of the Champs-Elysees Committee, which represents the 100 stores in the area. Still, the organization planned to put on its Christmas light show starting November 22, but it will be virtual.
The Champs-Elysees have faced unrest for several years, including terrorist attacks, strikes, riots after football matches, and violence during the yellow vest protests. And continued confinements could bring even more pain.
Ginza, Tokyo
The streets of Ginza, one of Tokyo’s best-known shopping districts, would normally have been lit by now, with the upscale shops dotting the main street covered in lights and decorations. It had become a must for tourists and couples.
But this year many shops and buildings are dark. Japan still has strict controls to allow tourists to enter the country, meaning that only a fraction of the usual shopping traffic has returned to Ginza.
To combat that, the Ginza Street Association is planning a hand-washing event at the main Ginza intersection in December, according to Eriko Takezawa, director of the Ginza Street Association. Passersby who clean their hands will receive a handkerchief and coupon to spend at a nearby store. They will also add more lighting along the streets, hoping to attract more people.
Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
Few retailers have been as affected by the pandemic as Hong Kong store owners. A stroll down the main road in Causeway Bay, home to the most expensive retail rentals in the world, shows the consequences of falling retail sales for nearly 20 consecutive months amid protests and Covid-19 restrictions. Brands like Tissot, Prada and Victoria Secret are among the closed shop windows.
Hope may come in the form of tourists, who are just beginning to return to the city. To boost tourism, Hong Kong recently formed a travel bubble with Singapore that does not require visitors to self-quarantine. But with the increase in Covid-19 cases, government agencies delayed its start, originally scheduled for November 22, by two weeks.
“There was a renewed sense that the worst is over, with the virus and the political situation under control,” said Ms Amrita Banta, Singapore-based CEO of luxury consultancy Agility Research, before the launch was delayed. travel bubble. “The city is ready to reopen.”
Fifth Avenue, New York
Fifth Avenue is still home to two of the most ostentatious department stores in the world: Saks Fifth Avenue and Bergdorf Goodman. But the numbers have dwindled in recent years, with fashion company Henri Bendel closing its century-old store and Barneys New York, a block from the strip, selling out. Several storefronts, including the former Ralph Lauren flagship, remain empty.
Its tents are now preparing for a dull Christmas season, with few to no tourists in sight. But they will do everything they can to bring Christmas cheer, even as Covid-19 cases surge in New York, once the epicenter of the outbreak in the United States.
As usual, Saks, Bergdorf and boutiques like Dolce & Gabbana and Louis Vuitton dress up their extravagant Christmas window displays. A local business group is installing oversized toy artwork such as a teddy bear, balloons and a dreidel, according to Jerome Barth, president of the Fifth Avenue Association.
This preparation comes after a volatile summer in which some Fifth Avenue stores were looted amid protests after the police murder of George Floyd sparked civil unrest. And many boarded their windows ahead of the November 3 presidential election to defend themselves against possible violence.
Now, most have started peeking behind the plywood after those fears were unfulfilled, hoping for a positive ending to a tumultuous 2020.
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