French luxury group Kering SA will expand its jewelry business and tap into China's technological innovation to drive growth, as it adapts to changing consumer preferences and seeks to deepen its presence in a market central to its global strategy.
Jean-Marc Duplaix, group chief operating officer of Kering and CEO of Kering Jewelry, said China remains central to the group's long-term strategy despite challenges facing the global luxury industry.
Speaking at the company's booth during the ninth China International Import Expo in Shanghai, Duplaix said Kering is placing greater emphasis on local decision-making, product innovation and closer engagement with Chinese consumers.
"China is one of the most innovative countries," he said, adding that technologies developed in China could increasingly be adopted across the group's global operations.
Having participated in the CIIE for the eighth consecutive year, Kering, the parent company of Gucci, Saint Laurent and Bottega Veneta, introduced Qeelin Gold, a new 24-karat gold jewelry offering that combines traditional Chinese cultural elements with contemporary designs.
Duplaix said Chinese luxury consumers are becoming more discerning, with purchasing decisions increasingly shaped by product authenticity, distinctive design and the quality of the shopping experience.
"Jewelry offers considerable growth potential as consumers increasingly purchase luxury products for themselves, placing greater value on craftsmanship, emotional connections and product quality," he added.
The group's jewelry division, launched in March, brings together Boucheron, Pomellato, DoDo and Qeelin, along with its manufacturing capabilities, to accelerate growth in the luxury jewelry market.
The expansion comes against the backdrop of China's sizeable gold jewelry market. Gold products generated 760 billion yuan ($113.84 billion) in sales in China in 2025, accounting for 77.7 percent of the country's jewelry market, said the Beijing-based Gems and Jewelry Trade Association of China.
Beyond jewelry, Kering is looking to China's digital ecosystem for technologies that could reshape its global retail and manufacturing operations.
To translate these ambitions into practice, the Paris-based group has established an innovation hub in Shanghai to connect Chinese tech companies and startups with its international brands, exploring applications ranging from artificial intelligence-generated content and virtual try-ons to smarter manufacturing and personalized customer experiences.
Over the past five years, Kering has worked with more than 50 startups and innovative companies across China, developing solutions that could eventually be deployed in other markets.
Duplaix said changing consumer expectations are prompting luxury groups to rethink how they engage customers, balancing their global brand identities with a deeper understanding of local culture and individual preferences.
Looking ahead, he said Kering will rely more heavily on its Chinese management teams to shape local strategies, reflecting the growing importance of understanding consumer tastes in the market.
Nie Pingxiang, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation in Beijing, said China's changing consumer preferences and expanding innovation capabilities are prompting multinational companies to move beyond selling products to developing technologies and products locally for both Chinese and overseas markets.
"Such investments reflect a longer-term commitment to China's industrial capabilities and evolving consumer market," said Nie.
More than 6,300 foreign-invested enterprises increased their investment in China in the first nine months of 2026, while actual investment from Canada, France, Switzerland and the United States rose 90.5 percent, 31.8 percent, 26 percent and 7.7 percent year-on-year, respectively, according to the Ministry of Commerce.
