SSI President Anton Tantoco Huang clues us in on the future of luxury retail and what to expect in fashion this 2022
Whether one realises it or not, Anton Tantoco Huang has had an immense role in shaping the Philippine sartorial landscape. His keen eye for style is what helped to bring the multiple luxury brands and items we love today. Thanks in part to him, the fashion industry in the country is what it is currently.
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As the president of Store Specialists Inc (SSI), Huang curates fashion while enhancing customer experience. He first started out in 1987 as a brand manager to Salvatore Ferragamo, Gucci and Marks & Spencer but these days, he finds himself busy with over a hundred brands and its network of over 600 stores. “Luxury consumers tend to be a resilient customer base,” he comments, speaking on the current pandemic. “As such, during times of uncertainty, luxury sales are usually less volatile than sales of other brand categories.”
Since Huang has been at the frontlines of retail, he’s become cognisant of the way 2020 has reshaped the meaning of luxury. “At times when experiential luxury such as travel and socialising is more challenging, we are seeing a shift in spending for luxury experiences to [sales in] luxury goods and investment pieces,” he notes. “Our customers are prioritising items that are needed for their current lifestyle pursuits. Where many of them are still working from and focused on the home, new furniture and home accessories are deemed as relevant must-haves.”
This kind of trend is neither everlasting nor set in stone. In fact, as the world begins to open, luxury retail will continue its dynamic movement towards adapting to what is current—and this is what Huang is particularly excited about. He expects 2022 to be a year for a “renewed and refreshed retail scene”. With hybrid consumer experiences now set in place, fashion will see itself adapt to a new environment of both the physical and digital. “Continuing and upgrading a 360-degree approach to brand accessibility and presence is what is most important and relevant,” he accedes. “Customers should be able to access your brand on every platform there is—online, social media, as well as brick and mortar."
