Fashionistas Flock to Beijing’s New Canada Goose Shop
Hey Canada, all is forgiven!
Despite a diplomatic row that has ruffled feathers between Canada and China, it seems the draw of fluffy, fashionable down jackets during the dead of Beijing’s cold winter makes everyone put politics aside for the joy of some good old fashioned holiday retail therapy.
Canada Goose, the already-unbiquitous-on-the-streets-of-Beijing fashion brand, opened its first mainland flagship store this weekend, and as of this afternoon, a line of 120 people snaked around the outdoor plaza at Sanlitun's Taikoo Li North just for the chance to pop in for a browse.
During a visit on Sunday afternoon, patrons were not bothered by sub-zero temperatures and 40-minute waits to get inside the newly opened store. It must have been a relieving scene for the store’s owners, who might have been bracing themselves for throngs of protestors instead.
Indeed, many pundits believe the Canadian high-end parka brand put off the opening earlier this month because of Chinese telecom giant Huawei CFO’s notorious extradition during a layover in Vancouver, resulting in a diplomatic row between The Middle Kingdom and The Great White North.
Although Canada Goose attributed the delay to construction issues, the timing seemed suspect to many Chinese netizens. Others used those social media platforms to decry the Canadian company.
Some patrons waiting outside in the below-zero temperatures were already wearing Canada Goose jackets
However, some Chinese consumers seemingly cannot get enough of the brand. One woman waiting outside in the -4C Beijing winter was already wearing a navy blue Canada Goose jacket that she said she bought in Japan, but lined up today to buy one for her husband. Unfortunately, she was out of luck as at 4pm, a store employee came out to tell the waiting crowd that all men's products were sold out.
One Beijing-based Canadian business consultant was not surprised by the warm welcome.
The Chinese market's interest in the brand is rooted in the fact that it is made in an economically-developed arctic nation, the design is chic, and there is no direct and capable competition in that market space.
"I guess it could be because the latest geopolitical theatrical did not erode the consumers’s faith in Canada Goose's quality," he said. "The Chinese market’s interest in the brand is rooted in the fact that it is made in an economically-developed arctic nation, the design is chic, and there is no direct and capable competition in that market space."
Despite its popularity, Canada Goose is no stranger to a certain level of controversy. The high-end jackets with price points north of USD 1,000 have been banned in at least one UK school for being an undesirable public "egregious signal of wealth." The brand has also been attacked by animal rights group PETA for the use of fur and feathers in its products.
Images: Kyle Mullin
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