Ticking off sales in timely work
Updated: 2013-10-24 07:34By the end of this month, another new Omega store is to be opened, in Hangzhou city, Zhejiang province. By 2012, Omega flagship stores in China exceeded 100 with the biggest in Shanghai.
Urquhart visits China five times a year and places great importance and expectation on the company's long-term development in the nation, exploring the market by opening more new stores.
"I'm eager to follow market trends, create market strategies and know more about the habits of Chinese customers," Urquhart said.
Now aged 67, Urquhart betrayed great charisma with a twinkle in his eye.
In 2012, China overtook the US to become the world's largest watch market with its millions of potential luxury watch buyers.
In China, the world's second-largest economy, the potential is huge. Wealth groups are rising at a speed as fast as the growth of the domestic economy. There are 960,000 yuan multimillionaires and more than 60,000 yuan billionaires in China. They account for a small proportion of the total population but own 80 percent of the total wealth of the society. Individualization is becoming a fashionable pursuit among them.
Owning a luxury watch is becoming a new favorite of Chinese rich people because it's worthy as part of a personal collection and holds its value as an investment as a luxury good.
With this moneyed domestic driving force, China is also becoming the world's largest luxury goods market. A report by US consulting firm Bain & Co show that led by a 7 percent rise in luxury spending in 2012 - strong compared with the global average but down from the double-digit growth seen in China over the past several years - Bain holds that China accounts for 27 percent of spending on luxury goods and services globally, compared with 20 percent in the United States. Previous reports have projected that China will account for 33 percent of luxury spending by 2015.
In order to tailor to the tastes of customers in the promising Chinese market, French luxury brand Hermes launched a new luxury good called Shang Xia three years ago.
But Urquhart doesn't have the same plan as Hermes to offer designs tailored to the Chinese market. "The difference between Omega and other brands is that we have the same products and marketing strategy in all global markets. We insist on volume production and we don't offer special designs for a unique market such as China," said Urquhart.
"The promotion of competitiveness doesn't rely on following the fashion trends. It is to win with quality, quality, quality."
His business strategy coincides with the way the businessman behaves in his own career.
"Being a true and natural person instead of catering for the desires of others is my principle," Urquhart said of his personal philosophy.
He added there's no secret for success at all and the most important is to work hard and have talent. Trying to be a boss with cohesive power and delivering positive energy to employees is the standard he places on being a good leader.
When entering the interview room, Urquhart showed his charisma as a good leader by actively greeting his Chinese young staff who helped to arrange the interview with China Daily. "I played golf with local PGA championship chairman yesterday afternoon just after I arrived here and I won," he said, smiling.
From the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 1932 to the London Olympic Games last year, Omega has taken charge of the timing tasks for 25 sessions of Olympic Games and been a continuing sponsor of various kinds of sports events.
As well as sports events, the Omega logo can often be seen at various kinds of fashion and cultural events, in business magazines and at public relation events.
The overwhelming spending on marketing, advertisement and business expansion contributes a lot to Omega's growth in China.
Talking about his initial profession, Urquhart is versed in marketing strategy-making, an element firmly supported by the brand's parent company, Swatch Group AG, the world's largest watch manufacture and distributor, which owns several watch brands. In terms of brand position, Omega follows JaquetDroz, Blancpain and Breguet. But in terms of commercial value, Omega is the gem at the center of crown.
"Being global CEO of Omega, the biggest achievement is deciding to open a franchised store and making it an important sales strategy. This step contributed a lot to helping Omega become the locomotive of the international watch industry again," Urquhart recalled.
However, so much spending of course is not impulsive. Urquhart has great hope in the brand's long-term development in the Chinese market.
"I'm quite optimistic about the potential for our development in the Chinese market, where the economy is to recover its verve and become more dynamic," Urquhart said, adding that the promising momentum in China will continue."
"In addition, the free trade agreement signed between China and Switzerland will also boost Swiss watch sales in China," Urquhart said.
In July, China and Switzerland concluded talks over a bilateral FTA, the first between Beijing and continental Europe.
"The speed at which China is growing is incredible and the country is the market that everyone wants to enter. How to sustain success in the attractive Chinese market is our biggest challenge," Urquhart said.