Our final morning in New York focused on the retail landscape visiting the iconic Saks Fifth Avenue flagship store in Midtown. Having undergone a $250m refurbishment, the reimagined Saks boasts the largest shoe department in North America, while other new developments see the beauty department moving to first floor to offer customers a more private experience and the atrium opening up the accessories and fine jewellery and watches department in the Vault. During the morning tour and meeting with Richard Drake, we discussed the innovation in private shopping and the importance of relationship with the clients and brands, the changing model of retail and mix of wholesale and concession and the how Saks is continually elevating the customer experience both in-store and through their range of services and unique experiences.
After seeing one of New York’s most established department stores we headed downtown to one of the Manhattan’s newest arrivals, Showfields. This lifestyle discovery store opened in 2019 curating a mix of the newest arrivals from wellness to accessories, from fashion to interiors reaching a demographic of customers wanting to explore the latest trends and the newest brands. With brands able to take one to sixth month pop-ups, Showfields not only offers new entrants into the market the chance to experiment with physical retail, but also for established brands to reach new customers. Seeing both ends of the spectrum provided a view into how retail is evolving in the US, which categories are performing well how stores are creating ever more individual and personalised experiences.
The inside scoop on US consumers
Another bright spring morning in New York. After an evening celebrating British luxury, our collective focus switched to the American media landscape to understand how the most influential titles here are writing about and covering luxury, the attitude towards British luxury brands, the key consumer trends in beauty, fashion, accessories and interiors, and how brands can build their profile both in print and digitally.
Over breakfast at The Ned Nomad with FT HTSI’s US Correspondent Christina Ohly-Evans, we delved into the US luxury market and talked about the trends we are seeing post-pandemic and the affinity amongst US customers for the British lifestyle and British brands – in particular, their ability uniquely to balance unrivalled heritage, with creativity and modernity.
During the rest of the day members organised their own meetings with department stores, clients, media interviews before we headed over to the impressive Hearst Tower for afternoon tea with editors from the American editions of Harper’s Bazzar, Esquire, House Beautiful and ELLE. These included:
We discussed their brands and readership insights, the role of magazines and journalism, and how they are currently featuring global (as well as specifically British) luxury brands. We also spoke about the US view of the Coronation and how they will be covering the Coronation of King Charles III.
The evening took us to Hudson Yards (pictured above) for dinner at British outpost Queensyard with spectular views of Thomas Heatherwick’s The Vessel.
Bringing British magic to Manhattan
Day one of Walpole’s annual US Luxury Trade Mission saw a packed programme of events and talks that culminated in a glittering cocktail reception at the British Consul General's Residence where guests from the luxury media, influencers, department stores, and investors mingled to celebrate British luxury in New York.
At Walpole’s Art of British Luxury Hospitality Summit, supported by VisitBritain, we bought together British hoteliers, brands, marketers, editors, travel agencies and travel industry insiders for a half-day event to shine a light on the experiences, stories and adventures which define British luxury hospitality. From the highlands of Scotland, to the magnificent country estates of the home counties, to the pioneering 5* hotels of London, to the culinary mastery of our newest chefs, we shared just some of the experiences that creating last memories and the many reasons to visit the UK in 2023. Speakers included Amanda Dobinson of ArtFarm, Stacey Langham of Royal Academy of Arts, Conor O’Leary of Gleneagles, Julia Record of Dorchester Collection, Andrew Stembridge of Iconic Hotels, Declan Lott of The Londoner, Jimmy Carroll of Pelorus.
The event also saw the launch of a brand new report, titled the Art of British Luxury Hospitality, produced by brand agency Notable which identified the trends and themes shaping the sector in the UK, insights on the modern luxury traveller and how British luxury brands are responding.
> Download the Art of British Luxury Hospitality report here
And with just two months to the Coronation of King Charles III, we provided an insider’s view about what’s instore for the 6th of May with royal biographer, Robert Hardman and Harpers Bazaar US’s Avril Graham.
The afternoon took us to JP Morgan for a market briefing on the American luxury goods market to understand the macroeconomic landscape in the US, and a view on the Stateside luxury customer, as well as strategic advice on market strategy, the retail landscape, the latest consumers insights, and how to build your brand profile. Speakers included:
The day culminated in an elegant cocktail reception at the British Consul General's Residence in United Nations Plaza in Midtown with stunning views over the Manhattan skyline. Guests from the British and American luxury sectors mingled over British-inspired canapes, Chapel Down sparkling wine, and cocktails crafted by The Macallan. Sanderson Design Group created a beautiful backdrop featuring the iconic work of celebrated British designer, William Morris, and ALR Music (which has recently launched in New York) curated the music which accompanied the event.
> See all the photos from our event at the British Consul General's Residence here.
