Brand Extension to the max

Fendi has opened its restored Palazzo Fendi palace in central Rome as it seeks to woo the richest shoppers.

After a refurbishment lasting about a year, the building will include a “by invitation only” suite, a seven-room hotel and a roof restaurant. The customer experience “will link that person to our brand,” Chief Executive Officer Pietro Beccari said in an interview Wednesday with Bloomberg TV. “It’s a place to cement a relation.”

Fendi is mirroring the strategy of Louis Vuitton, also part of France’s LVMH, to make even the wealthiest customers feel special. Maintaining exclusivity is becoming more challenging for luxury labels as the industry’s growth slows amid collapsing demand in China and a strengthening dollar.