Whether it’s winter sports or a beach holiday, having access to a breadth of retail offerings remains a key priority for holidaymakers. In Europe’s wealthy ski and summer hotspots, luxury retail in particular has capitalised from this trend by venturing further into our leisure time.

Post-pandemic, high-net-worth customers have an increased desire for leisure travel. Consequently, luxury store openings in resort markets doubled between 2022 and 2023; almost four times the average global rate pre-pandemic. Designer brands including Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Burberry, Bvlgari, and Zimmerman, have joined the major brands of LVMH, Richmont and Armani, in strategically choosing holiday destinations to connect with their target audience.

This increase is a factor of both brand demand and increased supply as luxury resorts and hotels increasingly look to maximise their real estate by creating retail opportunities on campus to satisfy their guests’ needs.

Pop-up stores provide a multifaceted approach that make the temporary presence of the brand in a holiday location a memorable and shareable experience for customers. Earlier this year, Louis Vuitton opened two pop-up boutiques at Zuma Mykonos, which stocked its limited, exclusive summer collection. But it didn’t start and end with the retail launch, with the brand also rolling out its takeover of the resort’s pool location as part of its LV By the Pool campaign; this entailed the printing of the world-famous monogram on sun beds, towels and even the pool itself.

Locating and aligning with the resort markets also allows brands to expand their ranges and product offerings – a great example being the Armani Neve range which was backed by a pop-up property strategy covering European resorts including Courchevel, St. Moritz, Crans Montana and Megève.

It's not just retail pop-ups taking holiday locations by storm. Savills research into alpine destinations reveals that Aspen, Colorado, has the highest number of permanent luxury stores, with nine major brands from Ralph Lauren to Van Cleef & Arpels, Dior and Louis Vuitton. Over the pandemic, luxury retailers that once looked to the alpine destinations for seasonal pop-ups started progressively committing to larger, long-term brick-and-mortar spaces; new entrants include Balenciaga and Overland Sheepskin Co. Pent-up demand for the luxury ski lifestyle both on and off the slopes has been a significant factor in this trend, with Prada launching ASPENX – a limited-edition collection of athleisure ski clothing and accessories inspired by Aspen.

Looking ahead, post-pandemic ‘revenge travel’ is very much still on the cards for 2024, with the latest tourism data from The World Tourism Organisation revealing that the allure of international travel is persisting, and in some cases is even higher when compared to pre-pandemic levels. Brands that are tapping into the high levels of footfall while carefully aligning themselves to the seasonal and cultural context of ski and summer hubs, inevitably strengthen their identities on the international stage. 

Further information

Contact Larry Brennan