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| Joined: | Sat Apr 11th, 2009 |
| Location: | Auckland, New Zealand |
| Posts: | 7504 |
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Depending on a mall's location and its prime target market (A, B, C), one can almost make a bet as to what type of watch stores exist inside. Almost always there are 2 dominant luxury watch retailers inside with a very good range of brands to choose from. Name it, they carry it. If not, walk over to the other competitor, and you'll find it. And always you'll have the usual sprinkling of lower-end retailers that carry the usual Seikos/Citizens as well as other cheaper brands you and I already know.
In general, the sales staff at lower end watch stores at malls in Asia can tell an expensive piece on the wrist through a mere glance and usually there is a designated "hitter" or the most senior sales staff that will attend to you if you walk in with a major piece on your wrist. Check the staff's eye movements and covert signals and you'll know what I mean. I am sure most of you have noticed that.
It is rather risky to own a free standing, high end or luxury end (there's a diff) shop away from malls because of 1)a limited market of buyers walking around and 2)security concerns, as you can imagine.
Usually, if I'm on the hunt for a Seiko, I check at the malls first and then when I see the unit and know its best selling price as well as features, I move on OUTSIDE the malls to the other, much, much older ADs that have stores in a much older part of town and score the same thing...for much less. Some Seiko ADs have their much older store in an older part of town (where all the lower end watch stores exist side by side)and open their slightly higher-end branch under a different name at the malls.
Some of the highest end hotels (5, 6 and 7 STAR rated) also house the more expensive, harder to find boutique brands like Harry Winston, knowing that the super rich hardly shop at malls but chill and play at these hotels. I know of at least 3 countries in Asia where the malls go to the customers. In these cases, the manager of the luxury watch store or his most senior sales rep makes an appointment with the target buyer at his/her office or his/her home and then a selection of watches is shown. The deal is the concluded outside the mall. The same ploy is done for luxury ladies' bags and purses and even jewelry.
I've never experienced a sales rep making condescending remarks on the watch I have on my wrist but once on a trip to Shanghai, a walking salesman with a big, black trenchcoat approached me on the street and pointed to the Pam Sub on my wrist and in broken English told me "time to change your fake Panerai" and in one motion flashed about 40 different fakes pinned to the insides of his coat. I had the biggest laugh of my life until he realized his mistake and offered a quick and sincere apology (LOL)
So I guess high end and luxury watch brands at malls will always cater to a wide spectrum of watch buyers but I think their numbers will drop with the popularity of the internet but there will always be a niche of buyers that need to hold, feel and touch a watch before they slap down their credit cards on the counter.
Last edited on Fri Apr 22nd, 2011 01:00 am by bigrustypig