SAFETY FIRST: Chanel on Wednesday expressed its “utmost seriousness” to the safety of its clients in China following a store quarrel in Hefei, the provincial capital of Anhui, went viral on social media in the past week.
Videos of three Chanel Beauty sales associates getting into a fight with a woman in the store at the Hefei MixC shopping mall began to circulate online last Friday.
According to local police, the conflict started when a salesperson tried to stop a shopper from taking a video of the product.
It then escalated into mutual verbal and physical assaults and attracted a large crowd outside the store. As a result, the Chanel Beauty store was temporarily shut on that day.
In a statement shared with WWD, Chanel said “this matter has been addressed with the utmost seriousness, in collaboration with the relevant authorities.”
The brand also reiterated that “the welcome and safety of our clients remain an absolute priority.”
Some of China’s online spectators believed the incident reflects the brewing anxiety among luxury brands’ shop floor employees amid a sluggish retail climate.
In the case of Chanel, a sharp slowdown in luxury spending in mainland China has led to a fall in revenues for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic, with operating profits plummeting 30 percent in 2024.
In addition to a hiring freeze, the brand earlier this year confirmed it was cutting 70 roles in the U.S., representing about 2.5 percent of its workforce there.
There have also been reports that Chanel plans to slash its headcount in its China head office by 20 percent this year. The French brand denied that claim, clarifying that it was “relatively minor” adjustments in regions where growth has stalled.
Chanel operates about 127 boutiques across China, with 15 new openings last year. The brand said it will continue to open 15 more this year.
