China’s Luxury Sector Bets on “Employee Influencers” to Survive the Storm

China’s luxury market is gasping for air. After three decades of explosive growth, the golden goose is coughing up dust. But in the ashes of decline, a new breed of influencers is rising—not the usual glossy celebrities, but sales associates armed with smartphones, aging filters, and a knack for comedy.

Meet Wengweng, a Bottega Veneta salesman in Fuzhou who moonlights as “BV Old Man” on Xiaohongshu (RedNote). His schtick? Posting absurdly charming videos about $4,000 handbags while using a filter that wrinkles his face into a wise, leathery sage. What started as a Hail Mary play to offset sinking foot traffic has turned him into an unlikely lifeline for the brand—and a blueprint for luxury’s survival in China.

The Rise of KOS: When Salespeople Become Storytellers

Luxury’s playbook is crumbling. Bain & Co. reports China’s personal luxury sales plummeted from a pandemic high of 471 billion yuan ($64.6B USD) in 2021 to a frostbitten market today. LVMH’s growth in Asia (ex-Japan) dropped 11% in 2024. Kering’s Chinese customer base? Down 35%.

Enter KOS—Key Opinion Sales. Brands are unleashing media-savvy employees like Wengweng to flood social platforms with bite-sized, brand-safe content. No more sterile product shots. Instead: humor, personality, and a human touch.

“When offline sales are tough, we need other ways to survive,” says Wengweng. His early attempts—polished styling tips—flopped. But when he leaned into slapstick comedy (imagine a “grandpa” clowning with a $3,087 Louis Vuitton CarryAll PM bag), tourists began pilgrimaging to his store. Sales followed.

Why It’s Working

Luxury’s old guard would’ve balked at letting employees hijack their image. But desperation breeds reinvention.

1. Trust Over Gloss A Chanel SA in Shanghai can’t compete with Kim Kardashian’s reach, but she can out-influence her on authenticity. “A salesman who knows your size, remembers your dog’s name, and posts relatable content? That’s currency,” says Li Jingyuan, CEO of social agency KAWO.

2. The VIC Pivot Brands are ditching the middle class to court Very Important Clients (VICs). Chanel’s “Les Salons Privés”—exclusive, appointment-only boutiques in Shanghai, Beijing—aren’t stores. They’re temples of status. Bain notes top clients drive 40% of global luxury sales.

3. Cheap Thrills Training a sales associate to post on Xiaohongshu costs less than a single Instagram ad. KAWO’s KOS program teaches 61 employees at a designer bag brand to dodge platform bans (no stolen photos) and spin gold from trends.

The Catch? Luxury’s Self-Inflicted Wounds

The industry isn’t blameless. Price hikes—Chanel jacked costs 9% in 2023—are alienating shoppers. A Louis Vuitton bag costs 22,500 yuan (3,087USD)inChinavs.19,000yuan(3,087USD)inChinavs.19,000yuan(2,607 USD) in France. Result? Middle-class buyers are ghosting.

Meanwhile, stores are vanishing. Tiffany fled Kunming. LOEWE closed its Yunnan outpost. Louis Vuitton’s Shenyang location? Shuttered. Luxury’s retreat isn’t subtle.

The Road Ahead

Wengweng’s success hinges on a fragile balance: funny but not cringe, personal but polished. “Some follow me for the laughs,” he says. “But eventually, they buy.”

For China’s luxury sector, the lesson is clear: Adapt or die. Train your staff. Ditch the price gouging.

And for God’s sake, let the BV Old Man cook.