Fashion hubs: Paris still the leading city for shopping

By

Jean-Paul Leroy

Published
Jan 23, 2015

In the study from the Boston Consulting Group for the Altagamma foundation presented in Milan this 22 January, there were a few slides that only confirm Paris' attraction as a fashion lover's paradise.
 
The study looks at the most attractive cities for shopping, or "fashion hubs", as the document calls them.

The results come from a survey involving 10,000 interviewees in 10 countries with just two questions: in what cities did you buy luxury items in the last 12 months? And which cities do you plan on shopping in in the next 12 months?

Paris led the ranking in 2014, as it did in 2013, and as it will, according to the BCG, in 2015.

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While London may not have budged from third place, Milan is sliding. In 2013, the Italian fashion capital was in second place but dropped to fifth place in 2014! However, the BCG expects it to move up to fourth place in 2015 due to the crowds expected to attend the universal exhibition being held there this year.
 
It was New York that kicked Milan out of second place, moving up from fourth place. The BCG expects it to maintain this position in 2015.
 
Finally, in the top 5, although Hong Kong was fifth in 2013, it moved up one spot to fourth place in 2014. And this despite the protests that marred part of the second half of the year.

The ranking of the five cities following the top 5 also shows a shake-up. And here again Italy is not spared. Rome, in sixth place in 2013, was in eighth place in 2014 and should stay there in 2015. The Italian capital was bumped down by Dubai, which was seventh in 2013 and sixth in 2014 and should stay there for 2015.
 
The United States has two cities in this category: Miami and Los Angeles. The Californian city is gaining momentum, moving up from ninth place in 2013 to seventh place in 2014. And there it will remain for 2014, according to the BCG. This ranking reflects the rhythm of the opening of flagship stores in Los Angeles.
 
Eighth in 2013, Miami fell to tenth place in 2014 and for 2015. Finally, the last city in the top 10 is Singapore, moving up one spot from tenth place in 2013 to ninth place in 2014 and for 2015.