Luxury shoes and apparel producer Salvatore Ferragamo aims to improve its competitiveness by reaching out to its customers.
Chief executive Ferruccio Ferragamo said: 'We have never been very good about communicating. Our product is high quality, trendy and innovative, with an intrinsic historic value, but we need to work on transmitting this to the customer.'
The 'new concept' of design and communication would be introduced in Hong Kong this autumn, in the form of revamped stores and service strategies.
'It is a competitive environment and we cannot relax,' he said. 'We need to constantly see what the customer wants and respond to the environment.'
The Internet did little as far as customer relations for the luxury goods industry, Mr Ferragamo said. It served well as a vehicle for information, but customers still expected the personal touch.
Mr Ferragamo was in Hong Kong last week on his way to China, where the group opened a store in Beijing and plans to add eight shops to its existing 12 by the end of next year.
'There is an effervescent market for our goods in China and a lot of competition there,' he said. 'It is a very interesting market.'