Jeweller uses Hello Kitty to seduce mainland

The world's most valuable jewellery retailer Chow Tai Fook, which counts Cartier and Tiffany & Co as competitors, is on a quest to conquer the hearts of China's future big spenders. Its weapons of choice: Hello Kitty and Winnie the Pooh.

Superman and the Angry Birds team also feature in Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group's range of fashionable, and affordable, pieces which the firm hopes will win over the millions of mainland Chinese who live outside major cities but who are reaping the benefits of a rapidly growing economy and who remain enamoured by the gleam of gold.

"We are quite similar to the fast fashion way of business in that our products are only available for a limited period of time," said Kent Wong, managing director of Chow Tai Fook.

"The stock-keeping units will have to respond promptly to the fast-changing tastes of customers, especially young customers, who can share information about trends very quickly on their smartphones," he added.

China, the world's second-largest economy, is on track to overtake India as the world's biggest consumer of gold this year as falling prices encourage purchases for both personal use and investment.

Combine that penchant for gold with a population that is rapidly urbanising, and becoming more affluent and trend-conscious in the process, and building customer loyalty as well as keeping up with fashion becomes key to the prospects of jewellery retailers.