March 2, 2015
Fendi boutique on Madison Avenue
Conglomerate Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton is renewing its training program for Chinese-Americans after seeing results in the inaugural class.
LVMH Fundamentals in Retail is a partnership with the Chinese-American Planning Council and Parsons The New School for Design, in which those enrolled undergo training to help them achieve job placement in luxury retail, with the goal of increasing their earning potential. During the first round, more than 90 percent completed the course and about 70 percent immediately found employment, with an average increase in wages of three times.
Career help
Based on job placement and wage growth in the first year, this is the most successful program in the 40-year history of the CPC’s outreach.
The 10-week program is open to bilingual English and Mandarin speakers who are unemployed or underemployed. Many are new immigrants to the United States.
After classroom education at Parsons from the college’s professors, LVMH employees and CPC staff, students are placed in an internship at a store location for one of LVMH’s brands.
Program participants at Louis Vuitton
In 2015, two additional sessions will be held, with the continued support of The Robin Hood Foundation. The first session will begin May 30.
In a group statement, Chantal Gaemperle, Group EVP, human resources and synergies at LVMH, which conceived the concept for the program, said, “We are delighted with the early success of this program, which is fulfilling our goal of addressing the needs of luxury retailers to best serve their Mandarin-speaking clientele while also helping to generate employment and enhanced economic opportunities for unemployed and underemployed immigrants in the United States. The goals of this program reflect a greater focus within LVMH of establishing creative, innovative initiatives across our Group that enable us to make a positive and enduring impact on society.”
Chinese consumers are important to luxury brands' bottom lines, but often language barriers get in the way. A number of brands have implemented programs to help ensure clear communication.
Five U.S. retailers will help launch a new program on China’s epayment service provider Alipay that will ease the shopping experience for Chinese consumers.
Alipay ePass will be available throughout the holiday season and will feature retailers like Saks Fifth Avenue and Bloomingdale’s. This online ecommerce system will help U.S. brands reach Chinese consumers on a trusted platform in the country (see story).
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