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LV WORKSHOP: BALINT PORNECZI/BLOOMBERG (4). KUO-I: JOHNSON LEE; BLOOMBERG (3). DATA: NOMURA, U.S. CENSUS BUREAU, CHINA GENERAL ADMINISTRATION OF CUSTOMSLuxury Boosting Production at Louis Vuitton
Surging demand for products such as Louis Vuitton
handbags means the luxury sector is a bright spot
for retail. In September, LV opened its 16th leather
workshop in France, where it plans to add 1,500 jobs
over the next three years.�Robert WilliamsRecent years have seen Louis Vuitton
open factories from Tuscany to
Texas. But the 165-year-old brand,
whose sales surpassed €10 billion
($10.9 billion) in 2019, says it’s
committed to keeping the majority of
its production in France. “If we let the
craftsmanship leave, even to places
as close as Italy, I think it’s inevitable
that the creativity in the sector will
follow,” says Chief Executive Officer
Michael Burke. To keep employees
happy, the 60,000-square-meter
(646,000-square-foot) facility in
western France features natural
lighting, minimal noise, and optimal
energy use.① Bee houses on the
property of the new
facility, which is in
Beaulieu-sur-Layon
② Employees at
the workshop,
which specializes in
handbags ③ Hand-
stitching a leather
strap ④ Conducting
a quality check①②③ ④