REUTERS RECENTLY REPORTED THAT FRENCH LUXURY DESIGN HOUSE LOUIS VUITTON WILL BE CLOSING ITS ICONIC PARISIAN BOUTIQUES AN HOUR EARLY TO PRESERVE ITS STOCKS AHEAD OF THE CHRISTMAS RUSH SEASON. THE SHOPS, WHICH ARE MAJOR HOT SPOTS FOR TOURISTS, ARE PARTICULARLY POPULAR AMONG JAPANESE, CHINESE AND RUSSIAN BUYERS AND MAKE UP A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THE FRENCH BRAND'S TOTAL WESTERN EUROPEAN REVENUE. THE BOUTIQUES THAT ARE TO BE EFFECTED ACCORDING TO A SHOP ASSISTANT WHO WAS INTERVIEWED MONDAY INCLUDE LOUIS VUITTON'S FLAGSHIP ON THE AVENUE DES CHAMPS-ELYSEES, AS WELL AS ITS OUTLETS ON AVENUE MONTAIGNE AND ON PLACE SAINT-GERMAIN DES PRES. TOURISTS SAY THE BRAND'S SIGNATURE LEATHER BAGS ARE OFTEN CHEAPER IN THE FRENCH CAPITAL THAN AT HOME IN CITIES SUCH AS SHANGHAI, TOKYO AND MOSCOW. 'WE ARE CLOSING AT 1800 INSTEAD OF 1900 TO REBUILD OUR STOCKS BEFORE THE CHRISTMAS SEASON', ONE ASSISTANT SAID, ADDING THE NEW CLOSING TIME COULD LAST UNTIL 1.DECEMBER. LOUIS VUITTON BOUTIQUES WITHIN DEPARTMENT STORES BON MARCHE, PRINTEMPS HAUSSMANN AND GALERIES LAFAYETTE WILL NOT BE AFFECTED BY THE NEW OPENING OPENING HOURS, THE ASSISTANT SAID, DECLINING TO BE NAMED. THE FRENCH LEATHER GOODS MAKER IS NOT THE ONLY LUXURY BRAND WITH SUPPLY ISSUES. HERMES CUSTOMERS IN ASIA SOMETIMES HAVE TO WAIT MORE THAN THREE YEARS FOR A PARTICULAR BAG. THE COMPANY SAYS IT PREFERS TO EXPAND PRODUCTION SLOWLY TO PRESERVE QUALITY, EVEN IF THAT MEANS HOLDING BACK GROWTH. LOUIS VUITTON, WHICH RUNS 11 ATELIERS OR WORKSHOPS IN FRANCE, IS BUILDING A NEW FACILITY IN THE DROME REGION OF SOUTHERN FRANCE TO BOOST PRODUCTION. IT WILL BE OPERATIONAL IN THE SECOND HALF OF NEXT YEAR AND WILL EMPLOY 200 PEOPLE.
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