China's luxury market still a tough nut to crack

China may become the world's biggest luxury market in some years but cultural challenges to win customers' hearts for certain types of products remain, industry executives said this week.

Champagne house Taittinger said it could make high-end sparkling wine in China but the market was not ready for it yet, while Lamborghini said the country's tradition of luxury chauffeurs, bigger than sports driving, made expansion there a challenge.

Jeweller Van Cleef & Arpels, owned by Richemont, found it tough to get its brand message across, while watchmaker Parmigiani Fleurier worried about finding the right partners.