French couture house Lanvin has launched an e-flagship store on Shangpin.com site.

The launch is part of Shangpin’s expansion as an online shopping mall with shop-in-shop “e-flagship” stores.

“Lanvin conducted more than two years research into the Chinese online market before concluding that a partnership with Shangpin was the best way to enter online in China,” said Lily Liu, GM of Lanvin China.

“The power of digital marketing and social media in China is a very important tool to use to create brand awareness and drive sales and that is an added value service that Shangpin will provide to us.”

In September 2012, Shangpin made fashion history in China by being the first online fashion retailer to sell full priced designer and contemporary fashion with its unmatched high-end customer base and average sale of 2000 yuan (US$330).

Shangpin currently has close to 8 million customers with sales in over 400 cities and reaching deep into the heart of China.

“Our unique online position in China enabled us to be pioneers and move into the full priced fashion retailing last year. This new service was launched to meet the demands of brands who prefer to market and sell their collections in their own branded environment,” said Shangpin founder and CEO David Zhao.

Zhao said the e-flagship store model allows brand to maintain their own independent branded stores that is separated from the brands in its own multi-branded retail area.

According to CLSA’s recent report on China’s e-commerce market, B2C shopping in China will shortly surpass the US. Within just three years, the total value of B2C online sales in China has leapt from US$3 billion to US$64 million with more than 89 per cent year on year sales growth.