Towards the end of September, English heritage and lifestyle brand Barbour opened its first Beijing store in INDIGO, Beijing. For the new opening, as well as to celebrate the brand’s 130th anniversary, Barbour launched a pop-up space at INDIGO.
Under the tagline “Inspired by our heritage, rewritten for today”, the Beijing pop-up Barbour space is divided into four main areas, surrounding a huge “130” sign in the centre. The space is decorated with greenery to emphasise the outdoorsy image of the brand. A large background screen welcomes visitors with several mannequins sporting Barbour classics. On the sides, there is a camper vehicle which supplies coffee, displays illustrating the 130 years of the brand, as well as a gashapon machine (or random capsule dispensing vending machine). A dedicated “Was for Life” waxing station is available for visitors to witness the maintenance of Barbour waxed jackets up close. Barbour also partnered with Chinese actor Elvis Han to not only model for its 130th-anniversary campaign but also visit the pop-up space.
At the same time, Barbour brought back its usually UK-exclusive “My Barbour” personalisation service to China, this time in Shenyang to celebrate both the anniversary and the opening of its store in the city. Like the time-limited offering in Chengdu last year, you can customise your jacket with a selection of collars, linings and initial embroidery options. Between 11 September and 31 October, the first 10 to spend 10,000 RMB (1,424.66 USD) at the Mixc Shenyang Barbour store can have their own customised jacket made in Barbour’s South Shields factory and collected at the Mixc store.
Barbour has been steadily growing in popularity among the middle classes in China due to its utilitarian and weatherproof practicality and has become a workplace and commuter staple. It also fits into several recent trends such as the outdoor boom, “dirty fit” and “quiet luxury” for its association with the English gentry as shooting jackets. The recent expansion in China shows Barbour is actively trying to leverage its popularity.
