Chapter 453 - 279: True Luxury

Chapter 453: Chapter 279: True Luxury

Ma Lin was in Shanghai, and his situation was much the same.

He couldn’t help but laugh. "Things are going great over here. There are so many rich people in Shanghai. Henglong is packed every day. People have even seen our construction hoarding, added me on WeChat, and asked for product information."

Jiang Fu didn’t speak for the moment, simply staring at the video feed from his office.

Lin Chu thought for a moment before saying, "President Jiang, why don’t you start by sharing the information I had you look up with everyone."

"Alright. I’ll give a brief overview. A couple of days ago, President Lin asked me to research the current top five luxury goods groups in the world. I’ve prepared a detailed report for everyone and have just sent it to the group chat so you can follow along. The report isn’t completely finished, so if you have any opinions or suggestions, feel free to bring them up at any time, and we can refine it."

"Let me start with the key points."

"Currently, the number one luxury company in the world is Louis Vuitton, with a market capitalization of five hundred billion US Dollars. Its subsidiaries include LV, Dior, Givenchy, Fendi, and others. Their strategy was to start with their own brands and then gradually grow stronger through mergers and acquisitions."

"Second is Hermes, with a market cap of around three hundred billion US Dollars. Their growth strategy is more conservative, without as many subsidiary brands. The advantage is that their brand value isn’t diluted, but the drawback is that their revenue isn’t as high, and they can only cater to the most high-end segment of the population."

"Third is Switzerland’s Richemont Group, with a market cap of around one hundred billion US Dollars. It monopolizes the watchmaking sub-sector, with subsidiaries like Vacheron Constantin, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Cartier."

"Fourth is Ferrari. Not much needs to be said about this one—they primarily make sports cars."

"Fifth is France’s Kering Group, with a market cap in the fifty-billion-US-Dollar range. Its main subsidiaries are Gucci, Saint Laurent, Balenciaga..."

"So, based on this, I’ve summarized several key factors necessary to create a top-tier Chinese luxury retail group. And with President Lin’s guidance, we discussed and ultimately determined the single core element: The essence of luxury is a form of class segregation. It’s a need for a sense of superiority, a need to flex. It’s about how wearing this ’thing’ gives the customer a good feeling about themselves and a noble image in the eyes of others. Product quality is not the primary factor; the aura the product conveys is the primary factor."

"From there, we continued our logical deduction. Where do nobility and luxury come from? There are several factors: first, bloodline; second, status; third, societal achievements and contributions; fourth, noble character; and fifth, cultural philosophy and recognition."

"However, we can’t achieve any of these in the short term. In fact, it’s impossible now, because we don’t have any first-mover advantage."

"As for bloodline, Chinese people don’t really care about that stuff—we’re not dogs. Status is a mess too. The standards for judging societal achievement aren’t uniform. The system for judging noble character is also skewed, and public opinion offers no definitive answer. The same goes for cultural philosophy."

"So, the day before yesterday, President Lin gave me a tagline, or you could call it a philosophy: ’What is true luxury? A life not defined by luxury.’"

"This phrasing is brilliant. It’s a deconstruction of luxury, with a postmodernist feel. But at the same time, it imparts a certain cachet, a kind of self-allure for the user. To be undefined, while simultaneously defining oneself—this is a battle for the narrative against traditional luxury groups."

"I believe this description is already a high-level strategic masterstroke. As for the specific implementation plan, the complete strategy is in the document I’ve shared with all of you."

"Alright, that’s all from me."

Jiang Fu finished speaking in a slow, methodical manner. His expression was gentle and his tone modest, but the meaning behind his words had already praised Lin Chu to the heavens.

Lin Chu: ...

’He’s really something else!’

Listening to this long-winded speech, Lin Chu was rather dumbfounded.

’When did I say all that?’

’This kid—oh no, Brother Jiang—you’re going places.’

Everything he had just said actually stemmed from a single, offhand remark Lin Chu had made—that sigh of "True luxury is a life not defined by standards." He had even said it during a casual chat. It was a genuine feeling he’d had recently, something that had really moved him.

’I can’t believe he brought it up at a time like this, and even turned it into the core philosophy for the luxury group.’

He really hadn’t seen that coming.

Of course, Lin Chu wasn’t about to blush... because he was paying the man!

Jiang Fu’s annual salary was in the millions, and he was the boss.

Theoretically, the results of Jiang Fu’s thoughts and labor at the company belonged to him.

At this moment, Yang Huixian, Hu Ping’an, and Ma Lin were all listening and looking at the specific plan in the document, thoughtful expressions appearing on their faces.

This was all quite insightful.

Jiang Fu was clearly very capable. His understanding of the industry was sharp, and he explained the logic and principles thoroughly. As expected of someone from investment banking, he had been exposed to many different industries.

And as for Lin Chu, even though he wasn’t physically present and was off enjoying himself, his thoughts were also very valuable.

"Holy shit!"

"This part... isn’t this a little too insane?"

"Item six, the Space Message in a Bottle Project: Every year, our store will facilitate a satellite launch. We will send the names of all our annual clients, along with any message they wish to say to the entire universe, into outer space via satellite (participation is voluntary). This project supports private customization. Please inquire for details."

"Isn’t that fucking cool?"

Ma Lin cried out, feeling an indescribable excitement that made his scalp tingle.

He had never imagined that a retail store could pull off something like this.ℯℯ𝑙.