Not long after Dolce & Gabbana have announced that D&G line will be discontinued some time in 2012 their name is still much buzzed about. Specifically this month Hong Kong press reported about a set of complaints filed against Hong Kong D&G flagship store. News are now picked up by Washington post. Photos are not allowed inside of the store. But things got heated up when several customers were asked not to take pictures outside of the store. Complaint was taken seriously by Hong Kong authorities, as the store is located on one of the busiest and most commercial street of one of the largest cities in Asia. It is absolutely legal to take pictures outside. D&G is gotta apologize!
Once the complaint went through, more people came around complaining about the fact that Mandarin speaking customers from China are treated differently from local Cantonese speaking customers. Such level of discrimination has no place in the most democratic city of China.
Hong Kong not so long ago, a British colony, has earned a reputation of shopping mecca of Asia. While China was still developing Hong Kong has emerged as the safest, most commercially attractive city that connects China to the rest of the world. Today it breaks records for the largest amount of flagship stores in the world. Some of the brands planted several stores blocks away from each other. For example there are three Versace stores in Hong Kong, while there is none in Toronto. Official flagship stores also mean guarantee of authenticity, which is a problem in China especially. Almost every mall in Beijing has Gucci store, however it may not be official and even if it is it may still sell fakes among reals. Hong Kong has been, is and always will be different. Majority of customers in such stores are however tourists, and majority are from China.
Getting back to topic of attitude. I have noticed similar unfriendly atmosphere at Dolce & Gabanna store in Paris myself. As nicely as I was treated in Valentino, it was all different at Dolce & Gabanna. Sales staff there behaved as if I own them something. They examine you from top to down once you walk in and classify whether you are potential buyer or not. If you are not, you are not welcome. Really, in Paris, common! I can only imagine Hong Kong...
This is sad, but hopefully controversies such as one at Hong Kong will straighten things up.
