The luxury empire of Louis Vuitton is expanding in China launching three new stores this year.

The new stores are planned to be located in Chengdu, Ten-hour and Shenyang, according to Christopher Zanardi-Landi, CEO of Louis Vuitton, China.

China's desire for brand name style remains strong, though the reality is out of reach for most consumers. However, Mainland China consumers today have increased purchasing power and many of them can afford Louis Vuitton products, observed Zanardi-Landi.

China has already become the company’s third largest market in the world, after Japan and the U.S and it has plans to further extend in China.

 

"We want to make sure that the stores we have now are achieving their best. On top of that, we will look for other investment opportunities," Zanardi-Landi said.

China has always been famous for their high-quality counterfeit goods. Illegal shops, which sell high-quality counterfeit goods, called "A" level, are becoming more popular in Bejing, International Herald Tribune reports. The majority of Louis Vuitton fakes arriving to North America on a daily basis, are made in China.

Luxury retailers hope their legal efforts will help protect their stylish status. In a landmark case, Burberry, Chanel, Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Prada have won $12,500 compensation for the sale of counterfeit handbags by a street market trader. 

 Other news