Like every other industry, the luxury profession has been hit heavily by the Coronavirus. But, just like other brands, luxury businesses have quickly realised that exploring new alternatives is the quickest path to survival now and even post-COVID-19.

**Tiffany’s Blue Box Cafe. Image Courtesy: New York Times**

Q1 reports are out, and the results show a significant decline in revenue globally for luxury brands. Many remain optimistic, but for smaller businesses especially, experts fear that their demise is near, precipitated, in a large part, by the Coronavirus pandemic.

It is not all gloom and doom in this side of the industry, however. Amidst uncertainty and rapidly changing consumer behaviour, some brands are thriving, reporting only minimal losses and hopeful for the future. These are the brands that have quickly adjusted from life before COVID-19 to the one after domestication.

Who are the brands rising above the downward pull of the Coronavirus-related depression?

Tiffany &Co

The premium jewellery brand announced that it recorded a 30% increase in sales in April and a 90% increase in May from just China alone. While other brands are also recording an uptick in revenue from the same country, Tiffany stands out. It does not only have several small stores scattered all over China but, prior to the pandemic, it had opened an online shopping platform in Chinese, which is a huge turnaround from how it used to operate.

But that is not all. It has also set up a Blue Box Cafe in its Shanghai store. It will be open to anyone who wants to eat at, and experience Tiffany. This is a new strategy to lure younger shoppers to the brand, and one that has so far drawn a buzz to it.

Tiffany's Blue Box cafe in Shangai — **Tiffany’s new Blue Box Cafe in Shanghai is its unique way of attracting a younger demographic to its brand. Image courtesy CNN**

Judging by the sales they have recorded in the last two months, Tiffany’s new style of localising their stores + combining offline business with online stores + attracting a younger demographic is definitely working for them!

Kering

This is the umbrella company for luxury brands such as Gucci, Bottega Veneta, Yves Saint Laurent and Balenciaga. It reported that although it saw a decline in sales in its physical stores, there was a “sharp 21.1% rise in e-commerce for all our Houses in the quarter.”

A Gucci signage above a store — **Kering, the parent for luxury brands such as Gucci, announced an uptick in sales in spite of the Coronavirus. Image Courtney Piqsels**

So, how has Kering managed to stay afloat the chaos? Well, the answer lies in the paragraph above. It had strengthened its internet presence pre-Coronavirus, and this pivot online saved it when the world was forced to stay safe indoors. Just like Tiffany, it has opened the doors of its physical stores in China and so far, sales have been encouraging.

Lancôme

Top luxury beauty brand Lancôme is doing things a little bit differently, as it moves away from the old normal to a new reality. Like many other brands, it has a strong online presence. But that is not all it is doing.

Lancome sales booth — **In addition to adopting a hybrid model for its point of sales, Lancôme is offering its clients a pay-later option. Image courtesy of Pinterest**

In addition to a free ground shipping on any order, it is offering a pay-later option in 4 interest-free instalments on purchased items over $35 in a bid to attract new clients who may have been a bit hesitant to try out their products because of the prices.

And just like other luxury brands, it is cashing out big in China. Lancôme has also recorded increased sales in the country due to “early restoration of operational capabilities in February, strict application of safety measures to ensure a safe working environment, as well as the rapid adjustment of activation plans in favour of online and O+O (online and offline) activities.”