Shopping mall owners are beating a path to Swatch’s door in the hope of opening boutiques that stock MoonSwatches and can host future launches.
At the annual press conference to discuss the financial results for the whole of Swatch Group, the company’s president, Nick Hayek took time to discuss the incredible growth for Swatch following the launch of MoonSwatch in March last year, which has revitalised not only the brand’s own stores, but also contributed to rising footfall for neighbouring retailers.
Swatch is still refusing to sell MoonSwatches online, or even introduce a click and collect ordering system.
This means customers have to gamble on turning up to a Swatch stores in person in the hope that there is stock available on a particular day.
There are 11 core collection versions of the MoonSwatch, plus the limited MoonShine version that launched earlier this month, so people looking to collect them all face a lottery as they visit different stores or the same store multiple times.
That means rising footfall in and around each Swatch store that stocks MoonSwatches.
As Swatch showed with this month’s MoonShine MoonSwatch launch, the unveiling of every new model is an event that attracts large crowds.
“Landlords understand the potential of opening Swatch in shopping malls,” Mr Hayek said yesterday.
There were no new MoonSwatches unveiled at the annual press conference, but Swatch has said there will be new models introduced on the date of full moons.
The next full moon is on Thursday, April 6. The April full moon is known as the Pink Moon, so consider that a possible clue to what Swatch has planned next.
Will the Moonswatch be sold online?
Swatch has no current plans to sell the MoonSwatch online, but it is increasing the number of stores, Mr Hayek says.
Swatch has said that it sold one million MoonSwatches in 2022, translating to top line revenue of around CHF 220 million; little more than a rounding error in the accounts of a business that turned over CHF 7.5 billion last year.
But Mr Hayek thinks the bioceramic watch has an impact beyond its own sales contribution.
The most direct affect is at Omega, home to the Speedmaster Moonwatch that inspired the MoonSwatch, and architect of the partnership with Swatch to create it.
Mr Hayek would not say how much Speedmaster sales rose overall last year after the launch of MoonSwatch, but he did share that sales through Omega’s owned and operated boutiques rose by 50%.
Swatch Group sales rose by 4.6% in 2022 at constant exchange rates, or 2.5% at actual rates.
