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| Louis Vuitton Store |
We started our day with a presentation from a vibrant and
energetic GM of a boutique design agency, QingWa.
Specializing on visual merchandizing, interior design, and travel retail, Rigmor
Berthier focused on the new shopping trends: from an activity that takes place in
physical stores or online to a value exchange that can play out in multiple
novel ways. She gave us numerous examples of how brands are getting
increasingly creative in where and how they sell goods.
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| Global Supply Chain Students pose by the LV store |
After this lecture, Louis Vuitton
Maison (French for “home”) opened its doors to our group. The store is a magnificent island on the water next to Marina Bay Sands and feels like a mix between a museum and a luxury cruise liner.
Jeremy Yeo, an Assistant Store Manager walked us through a bookstore filled
with books on design and fashion; an underwater art gallery that joins the
Louis Vuitton Island and the Marina Bay Sands shopping mall; a Travel Room that
focuses on luggage and accessories; and a number of other rooms in this
three-level store. Then Francois Carrere, a retail Director for
Loius Vuitton Singapore, and Sorin Ciocan, South Asia Supply Chain and Logistics
Director, answered our numerous questions about the business and services of
luxury goods.
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| Touring SDV Logistics |
After a delicious lunch at Da Paolo
restaurant, we traveled to SDV logistics, which offers international
transport, customs brokerage, warehousing and distribution, supply chain
management, and other services. Herve Perron, the General Manager of Sales and Marketing, shared
the company’s history, value proposition, and green initiatives. After touring
SDV’s distribution center, Heidi Trush, VP North American Service, Kinetic Concepts, shared her thoughts on this visit, “I was impressed with the
operation. It was reminiscent to a US operation. Clear safety
standards, favorable conditions for the employees to work in, and structured
distribution practices. This was a stark contrast from what we saw in
China.”
