“Do you still buy Prada?†When the reporter asked this question to ten consumers who had had a luxury purchase experience, they only had two answers. One was “never bought†and the other was “killerâ€. The package 'is the last Prada I bought.'
At one time, Prada, which is known as the world's top luxury brand “Six Big Blue Blood†with Dior, Chanel, LV, Gucci and CK high-end product lines, lost the favor of consumers?
In the reporter's interview, quality, innovation, and marketing methods have become the reason for Prada and consumers to drift away. One of the most conspicuous reasons is that "Prada's price is still there, but it is not a luxury in my mind."
Right now, Prada is trying to keep herself in the camp of luxury goods. Actively embracing China's e-commerce platform and signing top-level flow artist Cai Xukun, etc., are regarded as innovative innovations after Prada has gone out of conflict.
Imitation goods producer: We have not done Prada for a long time.
At the end of summer and early autumn, the highest temperature in Chengdu still reached 35 degrees, and Taikooli and IFS were crowded. This emerging fashion landmark in Chengdu has gathered hundreds of international big names and designer brands, and Prada has occupied the most prominent piece of the iconic building under the giant panda “Assâ€.
But compared with the long queues of its "neighbors" such as Chanel, Hermes, Gucci and other brands, Prada seems to have never seen such a grand occasion.
The most lively Prada purchase scene in the reporter's memory appeared in 2014 when its IFS store opened. At that time, the waiter wearing a suit and a bow tie served with orange juice or champagne to entertain the endless consumers, many of whom were returning customers with the Prada “killer bagâ€.
At that time, Prada's huge glass window displayed this "killer bag" that has been around for many years. In the "Mission Impossible 4", Reyes Saidu held it in one hand and the classic scene of one shot gave it the nickname and made it popular.
In the past five years, the main money of the Prada store has been changed and changed, but in addition to the nylon bag and the "killer bag", there are few new works that have aroused the market, and even the works that can impress the consumers. .
In Hong Kong, China, where luxury brands are gathered, Prada has quietly closed its flagship store. According to the Landlord Rising Group, due to the continuous decline in passenger traffic, the Italian luxury brand Prada will close its flagship store at No. 2000 Russell Street, Hong Kong. The lease will expire in June next year and the two sides have decided not to renew their contracts. It is reported that this is the sixth store opened by Prada in Hong Kong with a monthly rent of up to 9 million Hong Kong dollars. According to the fashion business news report, the Rising Sun Group said that after Prada withdraws from the store, the store's monthly rent will be cut by 44% to 5 million Hong Kong dollars.
"We haven't been doing Prada for a long time." Xiao Zheng, who has two stores in the Guangzhou Baiyun Leather Goods Wholesale Market, told reporters that during the peak of 2012, she had one or two hundred "killer packs" every day. But since then, whether it is such as Chanel CF, Celine Box and other classic models are popular, or Chanel wandering bags, LV small bags and other popular models, Prada has not been able to reproduce the glory of the former "killer bag." "In addition to the two years of Prada Cahier I have imitated, I have basically not done any of Prada's products, including Prada Cahier is also a gust of wind and then quickly passed, failed to become a classic."
“Whether consumers who buy luxury goods go to the counter to buy genuine products, or come to me to buy more cost-effective products, they are essentially the demand for brand value. In recent years, Prada has no luxury for them. Value, can not say that it has been swayed for luxury, but at least with the first-line luxury brands have not been linked." In Xiao Zheng’s mouth, Prada is like a brilliant no longer aristocrat.
Cai Xukun endorsement, embrace change or compromise to the flow?
When discussing the insights into art, there are a thousand "Hamlet" for a thousand viewers; when it comes to Prada, a thousand consumers have a thousand reasons for Prada's failure.
Senior luxury enthusiast Lin Jing (a pseudonym) said, "I think Prada's biggest problem in the past few years is still in design. Prada originally had a good brand foundation and classic accumulation. In recent years, Prada has some innovations. The action, but too conservative, is mainly reflected in the fact that innovation is not positive, the feeling is pushed by the market reaction, and the second innovation is mainly to renovate its own classics and is unwilling to cater to the new demands of consumers."
But the decline in performance has, to some extent, not allowed Prada to make any changes. In fact, Prada has begun to show off to the Millennials.
In June of this year, Prada released a 2019 autumn and winter men's wear series "Code Human" starring Cai Xukun. At the same time, the brand also announced that Cai Xukun officially joined the spokesperson lineup, which shocked public opinion. The latter is also recognized as the "black physique" at the same time as the title of "China's top traffic". The evaluation of polarization also extends to Prada.
The outside world believes that this means that Prada began to compromise with the new generation of "capacity".
Although some people criticize, the purchasing power of Cai Xukun fans is not enough, fans can buy a few hundred yuan of lipstick for chasing idols, but the tens of thousands of clothes and bags can be "brushed" by fans of traffic stars? What's more, Prada has just announced the spokesperson, and Cai Xukun's "100 million forwards" has been criticized by the media.
However, a Cai Xukun fan said on Sina Weibo, "What changes have we made to us after Cai Xukun became a spokesperson? I saw Prada's when I saw a dress and a bag. At least I couldn't see it in the past, even if I was watching it. In the case of the show." Perhaps this has already achieved Prada's expectations.
"From the devil wearing Prada to Cai Xukun wearing Prada, the representative of Prada from Meryl Streep to Cai Xukun, this transition from Hollywood top actress to Chinese traffic star, conforms to the trend and the times. Change. But said Prada 'compromise', I think it is not appropriate." Lin Xinyu, an analyst in the luxury retail industry, told the Daily Economic News.
In addition to traffic stars, online e-commerce has become the most direct and convenient way for brands to reach out to the younger generation. But arrogant luxury brands are cautious and slow in the process of “hands-on†with e-commerce. Compared with other luxury brands, Prada's attitude towards the e-commerce platform is positive and urgent.
This year, Prada announced its entry into the luxury e-commerce temple library. Although Patrizio Bertelli, the chairman of the group, has always been skeptical about e-commerce, from the performance of cooperation with Internet companies such as Oracle and Temple Library this year, Prada, which once lags behind other brands in online competition, is accelerating to catch up.
Seeking cooperation with traffic and e-commerce platforms is one aspect. On the other hand, Prada is eager to get rid of its increasingly “light luxury†label and return to the first-line luxury camp.
Prada has signaled a positive change. The positive price strategy is one of the main methods it adopts.
In March of this year, Patrizio Bertelli said in a conference call that its brands conduct a strategic review of wholesale and terminate seasonal price cuts, while those who seek buyers in wholesale channels are more carefully selected to improve their control over the market. Further strengthen the brand image and improve profitability.
In the first half of this year, Prada Group achieved a net sales of 1.546 billion euros during the period, a year-on-year increase of 2.4%, and a net income of 1.57 billion euros, a year-on-year increase of 2.3%. However, in the Asia-Pacific market, Prada's sales in the first half of the year recorded a 4.0% decline, from 519.6 million euros to 498.6 million euros, accounting for 32.2%. Can "Cai Xukun" be able to pull Prada's performance, perhaps to be tested by the market.
Lin Xinyu said that in the past five years of development, Prada has indeed fallen behind. Especially when the luxury consumer industry rebounded, Prada failed to catch up with it, but it was farther away from its competitors. "But fashion is a wind that doesn't know where to come from, where to go, maybe Prada is the next Gucci."