November 28, 2024

• 

A screenshot from SSG.com of the J12 Cosmic watch from the Chanel Interstellar Capsule Collection. (SSG.com)

Chanel Korea has launched an online pop-up store to sell luxury watches, marking the first time the French fashion house is selling its high-priced luxury goods online, excluding beauty products.

The online store will be running on SSG.com, an e-commerce platform owned by Korean retail giant Shinsegae Group.

Chanel plans to sell seven watch products -- including the J12 Cybernetic, Boy Friend CyberData and J12 Interstellar -- through the store, named the “Chanel Interstellar Capsule Collection,” by the end of this month.

The rare move comes after Chanel has long maintained its offline-oriented premium strategy by not selling products even on its official website.

Even though the purchases are made online, customers are required to pick up their watches exclusively at Shinsegae Department Store’s Gangnam branch in southern Seoul.

Industry watchers say Chanel may have chosen Korea as the first location for online sales due to the nation’s soaring luxury market.

According to Morgan Stanley, Korea was the world’s biggest spender on luxury goods last year in terms of spending per person. The nation’s luxury consumption was estimated to have reached $16.8 billion last year.

By Kim So-yeon (sera13@heraldcorp.com)