Madison Avenue's wishing tree. Image credit: Madison Avenue BID
In honor of Lunar New Year, New York’s Madison Avenue Business Improvement District is gifting consumers with the help of luxury brand partners.
From Feb. 9 to 16, the organization has placed a traditional wishing tree on the shopping thoroughfare, which consumers can pin a ribbon on to receive gift certificates from stores. This marks the fourth annual Chinese New Year celebration from Madison Avenue, as the street seeks to engage both the local community and tourists through cultural activities.
New Year ceremony
The Chinese New Year celebration is being produced by Madison Avenue BID in collaboration with the Chinatown Partnership, East Midtown Partnership and Grand Central Partnership.
This event targets both locals and tourists. Among the participating retailers are Bottega Veneta, Frette, Isaia, Lalique and Montblanc.
Instagram post from Frette
The tree is located at 706 Madison Avenue, between 62nd and 63rd Streets.
Madison Avenue will be hosting a kickoff to the event on Feb. 9 at 11 a.m., which will include a ribbon pinning ceremony that is open to consumers.
With New York a key destination for Chinese tourists, Madison Avenue BID has made other moves to make Chinese shoppers feel more welcome at its retailers, including the use of mobile technology.
During the Golden Week holiday earlier this month, the Madison Avenue BID teamed up with language assistance application Jeenie and Attract China to both get consumers in the door and facilitate connections between them and retail staff. Chinese consumers are driving the majority of luxury growth today, with these shoppers spending mostly while overseas (see story).