英国签证将中国顾客拒之门外

The British luxury industry is banking on the visa changes to transform the scale of its operations. “Attracting Chinese shoppers is not just about footfall and revenues,” says Jeremy Gordon, director at China Edge, a consultancy. “It can boost a brand’s value, whether it is fundraising, or preparing for an IPO or ... sale.”
英国奢侈品行业期望通过签证政策的调整来使自身业务规模更上一个台阶。咨询公司China Edge的主管杰里米•戈登(Jeremy Gordon)表示：“吸引中国消费者的意义不仅在于增加客流量和销售收入，它还能提振一个品牌的价值，不论该品牌是正在筹集资金、准备首次公开募股还是准备出售。”

His digital communications tips for UK luxury brands include creating a Chinese landing page on corporate websites and ensuring brand communications articulate clearly what a brand does best, without assuming prior knowledge.
戈登对英国奢侈品牌提出的数字沟通建议包括：在公司主页上设立一个中文登陆界面，确保品牌宣传清晰传达出品牌的最大优势，不要预设消费者对品牌已经有所了解。

Meanwhile, the Bond Street Association, representing dozens of Mayfair businesses, has signed up to a “China-ready” workshop series devised by China Edge to help retailers offer Chinese-friendly luxury shopping.
与此同时，代表梅费尔区(Mayfair)数十家商户的邦德街协会(Bond Street Association)参与了由China Edge组织的一系列“为中国做好准备”研讨会，以帮助零售商们提供令中国消费者宾至如归的奢侈品购物体验。

“This year, more than 100m Chinese residents will travel abroad seeking high-end luxury brands,” says Gordon Clark, UK manager for Global Blue, tax-free shopping specialists. “These goods can be up to 30 per cent cheaper to purchase in the UK than in China even before the tax-free refund.”
免税购物专营商环球蓝联的英国区经理戈登•克拉克(Gordon Clark)表示：“今年，将有超过1亿名中国居民出国旅行，同时购买高端奢侈品牌。即使不考虑免税返还，在英国购买这些产品也会比在中国购买便宜30%。”

Tales abound among luxury industry insiders of the extravagance of Chinese shoppers. Last November, before “Singles’ Day” – China’s equivalent of St Valentine’s day – one Chinese man bought an engagement ring from 77 Diamonds, a London-based online jeweller, despite the fact that he did not have a girlfriend. He bought the ring “just in case”, the company says.
在奢侈品行业的圈子中，流传着大量有关中国消费者出手阔绰的故事。去年11月，在“光棍节”（相当于中国的情人节）的前夕，一名中国男子在总部位于伦敦的网上珠宝商77 Diamonds购买了一只订婚戒指，尽管当时他还没有女朋友。该公司表示，该男子购买戒指的理由是“以防万一”。

In February, Fortnum & Mason, the luxury London grocer, will for the first time host a private event and a promotion to celebrate the lunar new year – peak time for Chinese visitors.
伦敦高级消费百货商店Fortnum & Mason将于今年2月首次举行一场旨在庆祝中国农历新年的私密活动，届时还会进行促销活动——春节是中国游客来英国旅游的高峰期。

Celebrating the forthcoming year of the horse, products with an equestrian theme are expected to spring up around London. De Beers, the world’s largest producer of diamonds, has created window designs for Harrods incorporating a red background and a horse silhouette in gold and will hand out red-coloured surprise gift packages to Chinese customers.
预计伦敦奢侈品行业为庆祝即将到来的马年，将会大量推出以马为主题的产品。全球第一大钻石生产商戴比尔斯(De Beers)已经为哈罗德百货(Harrods)设计了一个包含红色背景以及金色马型轮廓的展示橱窗，而且还会向中国顾客派发红色的惊喜礼品包。

Some brands prefer to adopt a more cautious approach. Backes & Strauss, a diamond watch specialist, has not yet focused its marketing on Chinese visitors. But it awaits visa changes with interest. “We expect a significant impact on our UK sales to Chinese visitors at Harrods and our other UK locations,” says Vartkess Knadjian, its chief executive.
一些品牌倾向于采用更加慎重的做法。钻石手表专营商Backes & Strauss并未将其营销重心放在中国游客上，但它颇为关注签证政策的变化。该公司首席执行官瓦特基斯•克纳坚(Vartkess Knadjian)表示：“预计中国游客将对我们在哈罗德百货以及英国其他地区零售网点的销售带来重大影响。”