ppes at Londoner and Sands Lifestyle, also introduced “Little Luxury Stars,” a family-friendly campaign that transformed the Shoppes at Londoner into a colourful London Zoo-inspired wonderland.  The campaign commenced on December 9 with a premium ready-to-wear children’s fashion show, featuring young fashionistas strutting the runway in the latest seasonal looks from renowned brands available at T Galleria by DFS. The store spans over 22,000 square feet and features over 120 world-leading and emerging brands, making it the epitome of a family-centric shopping destination.  We talked to Johan Pretorius, president of Hong Kong and Macao at DFS Group, and Timothy Jones, senior vice president of retail at Sands China, to learn more about what the past year has been like. Onwards and upwards “T Galleria by DFS, Macau, The Londoner has welcomed over 1.1 million visitors since our opening and that’s a great milestone for us, as the sheer number of shoppers indicates that the concept and the assortment mix of the store is appealing,” Pretorius told Inside Retail. He said that the store was the first in Macau to launch a kids-focused product lineup across clothing, toys and food, including brands such as Burberry Kids, Care Bears and DFS Exclusive Sweetravels. “This demonstrates our commitment to bring the best shopping experience for families, catering to their needs from parents to children. We closed 2023 with the ‘Little Luxury Stars’, another first in Macau where we bring in international luxury fashion brands for children that are otherwise only available overseas,” he added. According to Jones, since ‘Little Luxury Stars’ first launched at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore in 2016, it has continuously introduced luxury fashion to a wider audience to cater to the demand from family consumers.  “Our aim is to reinforce the positioning of Shoppes at Londoner as a premium lifestyle mall with a strong family focus. The decision to collaborate with DFS is two-fold, we have collaborated successfully before, and it is the perfect fit with its premium lifestyle positioning and the range of children’s luxury fashion brands it carries,” Jones told Inside Retail. He went on to say that the team stayed true to the fundamental structure of ‘Little Luxury Stars’ while incorporating new aspects that reflect The Londoner Macao’s branding.  “For example, the ‘Zoo at Londoner’ theme, which was inspired by London Zoo, and an opening dance performance that featured little royal guards, all specially curated to reinforce the property’s British-inspired theme,” he noted. Jones also pointed out that Sands China has always been a strong advocate for bringing in non-gaming elements in the areas of retail, food and beverage, entertainment and MICE-related (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions) activities.  He added that the new lifestyle brand, Sands Lifestyle, captures and presents these elements and experiences under a single brand story. An emphasis on luxury Sands Shoppes Macau is Macau’s largest duty-free luxury shopping experience, with over two million square feet and approximately 850 shops.  It comprises four interconnected malls each with its own unique selling proposition and positioning: Shoppes at Venetian, Shoppes at Four Seasons, Shoppes at Parisian and Shoppes at Londoner.  According to Jones, due to the distinctive nature of each, they can offer a comprehensive selection of brands and categories in different tiers, which means that the destination appeals to all customer segments.  “This variety keeps us relevant and provides our guests with an exceptional shopping experience in Macau. Additionally, we are always on the lookout to bring unparalleled experiences to enhance our properties,” he added. Pretorius also chimed in by saying that DFS puts extensive thought into curating the perfect brand mix for each location within its global network. “For The Londoner, the selection process is focused on authentic British brands that reflect the British style and beauty heritage. A unique selection of iconic British premium artisanal fragrances brands including Penhaligon’s, Burberry, Creed, Jo Malone London and Miller Harris while emerging brands such as Malin+Goetz, Dr. Barbara Sturm and Tata Harper are also made available,” he said. This balance is also reflected in the kids’ area, apart from classic childhood brands such as Care Bears, while fun labels like Jellycat and Papinee are also available. Evolving tastes Pretorius also reiterated that the luxury travel retail industry has experienced significant evolution in recent years. Customers now expect personalised shopping experiences.  They also have higher expectations of the shopping environments and are looking for immersive shopping experiences that blend shopping with discovery and entertainment when travelling.  Jones summed it up perfectly by saying that the great attraction of an integrated resort is that it is a one-stop destination, with all guest desires fulfilled under one roof, including accommodation, dining experiences, premium wellness offerings and facilities, and world-class entertainment.  “Additionally, guests want to shop, so to be able to combine the previous with a shopper’s paradise, such as Sands Shoppes Macao, reflects that the synergy is strong, for you need all the components for it to be a leading integrated resort,” he concluded.