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Zhu Wenqian

Louis Vuitton will close its only store in Guiyang on August 31, according to an on-site notice, further trimming the French luxury brand’s southwestern China footprint, which has fallen to three stores from a peak of six.
The closure in the capital of Guizhou province is part of the brand’s plan to optimise its retail network as it recalibrates strategy in the world’s second-largest consumer market amid soft domestic spending and shifting luxury consumption trends.
It coincides with a string of trademark lawsuits Louis Vuitton has filed in China.
In one case, local tea chain Molly Tea was ordered to pay the brand 10.3 million yuan (US$1.5 million) in July over the use of a similar logo. The verdict sparked heated online debate, but also drew public support for the Chinese company.
“We see limited short-term sales impact from the Molly Tea incident. However, the real risk lies in the long-term effect on younger Chinese consumers, who will form the future consumer base for Louis Vuitton,” said Sandy Lim, director at S&P Global Ratings.
“They prioritise cultural respect and brand empathy over pure prestige-driven exclusivity. The controversy could create a higher perceived barrier for this cohort, which Louis Vuitton would need to address at some point down the road.”


Over the past year, the brand has been scaling back outlets in China. It closed stores in Kunming, Yunnan province, in February and Chengdu Tianfu International Airport in Sichuan province in June, both in the country’s southwest.
It also closed its non-duty-free store at the domestic departure section of Terminal 3 at the Beijing Capital International Airport earlier this year, according to an April 30 statement from the city’s customs district, which approved the brand’s application to cancel its health permit for frontier ports.
“Louis Vuitton is focusing on quality over quantity in its store network to elevate consumer experience,” Lim said. “This caters to China’s shifting luxury consumption trend, where premium pricing is increasingly justified by immersive brand experiences and high-touch VIP services.”
The brand is scaling up its flagship stores in top-tier cities like Beijing and Shanghai.
Its new stand-alone store in Beijing’s Taikoo Li Sanlitun North opened in December, after it launched “The Louis”, a boat-themed conceptual landmark, at Shanghai’s HKRI Taikoo Hui in June 2025.
China’s personal luxury goods market was expected to see modest growth in 2026, despite ongoing volatility and uncertainty, according to a report earlier this year by consultancy Bain & Company.


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The latest China store exit in Guiyang highlights the luxury brand’s struggle to balance prestige with cultural empathy amid legal disputes


The latest China store exit in Guiyang highlights the luxury brand’s struggle to balance prestige with cultural empathy amid legal disputes.


Louis Vuitton shuts down another store amid fallout from trademark dispute in China

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The latest China store exit in Guiyang highlights the luxury brand’s struggle to balance prestige with cultural empathy amid legal disputes

The latest China store exit in Guiyang highlights the luxury brand’s struggle to balance prestige with cultural empathy amid legal disputes