The prevailing theme that all the brands present at Marina Bay Sands (MBS) share is luxury. While the heritage and history of each individual brand are important, what’s more relevant is that each and every brand offers that promise of luxury. That’s why we have historic and prestigious brands like Louis Vuitton here alongside younger brands such as Franck Muller or Richard Mille. Our primary objective is to bring all these brands together under one roof to offer visitors a comprehensive luxury-shopping destination.
A luxury-shopping experience doesn’t only encompass buying luxury products, because you can buy many of these pieces elsewhere. But you can’t buy the experience, and because many of the brands have their flagship stores here, they are able to offer a complete brand experience and take their bespoke customer service to the next level. So, while many of the retailers here, such as Louis Vuitton, have a presence throughout the region, I’m proud to say that, here at MBS, they are able to offer services and products that you can’t find elsewhere and I think that really gives us an edge.
Many of the brands that joined us when we first opened MBS have more than doubled their footprint. Take Gucci, Dior or Burberry for example; they initially committed two to three thousand square feet worth of floor space for their boutiques. Today, their flagship stores occupy about seven to nine thousand square feet. For them to commit so much capital in such a short time is an affirmation that our strategy at MBS is indeed the right one.
The initial signing of our partnership with Louis Vuitton was a very special moment. As Louis Vuitton is such a big and powerful name in the world of luxury, we always intended to include this brand in our retail line-up. Bernard Arnault, the Chairman and CEO of LVMH, flew in to personally commemorate this deal. He arrived with a full entourage; it was almost like receiving the President. The Louis Vuitton boutique, which we call the ‘Island Maison’ and is located in the (North) Crystal Pavilion, has won numerous design and architectural awards, and is truly an icon of both the brand and MBS.
We don’t just choose brands by price point alone. Ultimately, we are still a business and the brands we work with must have an appeal among the consumers. It doesn’t work if a brand sells only a single handbag each year; it must be able to generate sustainable demand in the long run.
People don’t only visit MBS for shopping alone. We see visitors, who hail from all over the world and draw from an elevated segment of society, come to MBS to enjoy all the elements of the integrated resort. There are the shoppers, tourists, business-travellers and those looking for a unique dining experience. With such a diverse consumer group, our goal is to create a retail and F&B experience that binds everything together to ultimately build a world-class integrated resort.
The F&B side of our operations is extremely important. We are always evolving our line-up of restaurants, which includes world-class restaurants such as Gordon Ramsay’s Bread Street Kitchen, Adrift by David Mayers and Spago by Wolfgang Puck, to continuously excite visitors to MBS
One question I get asked a lot is “Will MBS be challenged by the rise of online-shopping?†In some respects, yes, it’s a challenge for retail everywhere. But I truly believe in delivering on a true luxury retail experience, and this is something you can only get in a flagship store or boutique. Personally, if I’m going to spend a significant amount of money on a bag, jacket or suit, I’d like the satisfaction of walking out of that store with the product in hand. And, judging by our success, I’m very confident going forward with our current formula.
