Tatler Asia expands into eCommerce, goes beyond luxury with new biz models

Tatler Asia is diversifying into eCommerce with Tatler Unlisted, offering time-limited products and experiences for the audience. The media brand is also exploring rewards programmes following the launch of UnitedWeDine last year, which was curated to support the F&B industry in Hong Kong.

At the same time, Tatler is also introducing new business models in addition to print and digital media, offering different experiences to engage luxury consumers. Initiatives include culinary hub Tatler Dining Kitchen, which allows food lovers to experience off-menu dining and collaborations. The Tatler Bar is a curated online and offline platform designed for the drink connoisseur. Moreover, OffMenu is an event that mixes local and international F&B trailblazers, chefs and mixologists with entertainment.

Meanwhile, on the wellness front, Tatler is collaborating with renowned fitness brands and experts through its sub-brand Tatler Roots. Other experiences include Tatler House, where intimate luxury gatherings, dinners, roundtables, product activations take place. Located in Hong Kong, Beijing, Singapore and Malaysia, with more to open across the region in the coming year, Tatler House is a branded VIP venue providing an exclusive place for the group’s community to come together and experience the Tatler brand in real life. 

These initiatives come after it launched a new website in September, providing each location with personalised content. The site is aimed at increasing engagement with millennials and Gen Z audiences and offering luxury lifestyle insights. It also recently hired Marc Lourdes as regional digital content director. He was previously Astro's VP and head of Indian content.

Moving forward, Tatler plans to focus on more topics with purpose, such as female empowerment, sustainability, equality, LGBTQ, philanthropy and entrepreneurship. This is in response to the evolving needs of readers. After the addition of these topics, Tatler will continue engaging influential consumers, business leaders, creatives and personalities, while it will also increase its younger audience base to reach Asia’s mass affluent, appealing to individuals from a greater cross-section of communities, industries and walks of life.

According to Tatler, such changes were based on a study conducted between July and September, surveying over 2,000 respondents from mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore. It explored people’s feelings towards luxury, wellness, sustainability and Asian culture, uncovering the fact that the values of high net worth individuals and people’s perception of luxury, in general, had changed. For example, luxury has evolved from its association with high priced consumer goods that convey status, to having more emphasis on wellbeing, value and meaning, and demonstrating personality.

Meanwhile, the majority of respondents (over 80%) also said they valued sustainability and environmental, social, and governance (ESG), and sought to purchase from brands that commit to worthy causes. More than 70% of respondents also said the pandemic had changed their luxury purchase preferences. Based on these responses, Tatler said it will ensure that ESG is a theme consistently explored in its content whilst aligning with real views on what luxury is.

"Over the last five years, we have witnessed first-hand a shift in people’s outlook on media and lifestyle preferences. The pandemic has further accelerated this need for change as individuals have been re-evaluating life choices. As a legacy brand, it is our role to redefine media for the future, introduce new initiatives and lead conversations that matter,” said Michel Lamunière, chairman and CEO of Tatler Asia. Lamunière said that its ultimate goal is to empower Asia’s most influential and affluent communities to live their best life and make a positive impact on the world.

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