Luxury Players Race to Feed VIPs With Takeaways Amid Shanghai Lockdown

Louis Vuitton sent fancy takeaways for customers during Shanghai lockdown. WeChat

Luxury players such as Louis Vuitton, Cartier and Bulgari are racing to feed their VIP customers amid Shanghai’s two-phase lockdown, which saw the Eastern part of the town enter an eight-day shutdown on Monday, and the Western part of the city entering a five-day quarantine starting Friday.

According to the WeChat group chat messages seen by WWD, sales associates at these brands have been arranging premium meals cooked by some of the most prestigious restaurants in town to be delivered to some of their biggest spenders who are sequestered at home during the government-ordered quarantine.

In the chat, a person shared a screenshot of him confirming the menu of the takeaway to be delivered to him the next day with a Louis Vuitton salesperson from the brand’s Plaza 66 flagship.

The chat shows that the meal is provided by Yongfu, a Michelin-starred high-end eatery specializing in Ningbo cuisine. The 10 courses takeaway includes handmade sausages, marinated mackerel, braised small yellow croaker with pickled mustard greens, bamboo shoot with cuttlefish and pan-seared king prawns.

Some luxury brands are sending a full meal to their VIPs, cooked by Michelin-starred restaurants during Shanghai lockdown. — Some luxury brands are sending a full meal to their VIPs, cooked by Michelin-starred restaurants during the Shanghai lockdown. WeChat

Another user shared a two-tier dessert box from the French leather house, and a greeting card saying that the team wishes him well during the pandemic.

In another screenshot, a salesperson from Bulgari said they are sending food to customers because the industry is doing everything it can to retain key customers. She offered her contact a high-tea set from The Peninsula hotel, and a dinner cooked by the fine-dining chain Shilu.

Meanwhile, news about food shortages during the lockdown has flooded social media, and an increasing amount of local residents took to Weibo to express their dismay and demand more frequent food delivery by the authorities.

On Wednesday, Shanghai, a city of 26 million people, reported a record 5,656 asymptomatic COVID-19 cases and 326 symptomatic cases on March 29, up from 4,381 new asymptomatic cases and 96 new cases with symptoms from the prior day.

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