“We are pleased to introduce Sotheby’s Buy Now in Asia with our inaugural launch in Hong Kong, the beating heart of fine art and luxury collectibles in the region. Our ambition for Buy Now is to meet our clients’ needs with an online destination for extraordinary objects available for immediate purchase, hereby gaining our customers access to Sotheby’s unparalleled 278-year company heritage and preeminent collecting track record while integrating this new channel with our signature auction offering.”
Nathan Drahi, Managing Director of Sotheby’s Asia
Hong Kong, 2 December 2022 – Sotheby’s is expanding its Buy Now offering by actively sourcing for the first time from across Asia the most sought-after, authenticated and rare art and luxury objects made available at fixed prices and for instant purchase through its online store. Catering to a new cross-collecting era, the expansion of Sotheby’s Buy Now in the region responds to the increasingly sophisticated purchasing habits of local collectors and will offer a modern collecting experience to a new generation of collectors for acquiring and selling the world’s most desirable collectibles from all over the globe.
To celebrate the announcement of this new milestone to take place in 2023, signaling further expansion into Asia, Sotheby’s is staging a two-week exhibition, Sotheby’s En Route, showcasing more than 40 of the most rare and exceptional Hermès handbags – including a White Matte Niloticus Crocodile Himalaya Birkin 30, a Limited-Edition Menthe Swift and Osier Wicker Birkin 25 and a Black Quilted Lambskin Mini CC In Love Heart Belt Bag – all of which are available for instant purchase. This unique exhibition – a three-dimensional expression of the Buy Now digital experience, will be located in the heart of the city’s luxury district in Central, 20-20B Queen's Road Central from 3 – 16 December.
“Usually these much-desired objects would only be available to a handful of bespoke clients worldwide,” says Jean Qian, Sotheby’s Managing Director, China “Many of the pieces that we will be presenting in Hong Kong are new releases or have never before been exhibited to the public. We hope to present a curation of rare collectibles that resonates with local Hong Kong collectors, and to continue to elevate the experience of collecting in the city and beyond.”
Expansion of ‘Buy Now’ in Asia
For nearly 300 years, Sotheby’s has been an innovator and leader of the fine art and luxury industry, by consistently developing new experiences and ways of interacting with global collectors. Inaugurated in 2020, Sotheby’s Buy Now provides new ways for collectors to buy and sell beyond the traditional auction calendar, granting 24//7, 365-day access to exceptional luxury, fine and decorative art and objects at a variety of price points, and all available for instant purchase.
In response to the growing demand from new and existing collectors, Sotheby’s is focused on providing the most innovative and accessible collecting experience to the region.
Collectors from Asia Remain Key Players in the Luxury Sphere
Collectors from Asia continue to be a strong force in Sotheby’s global business, accounting for over a quarter of all sales so far this year. Across Sotheby’s core luxury auctions, clients from the continent account for the highest proportion of global spend (40%), and with the largest percentage of buyers in Streetwear and Modern Collectables (57%), Handbags & Accessories (34%), and Watches (33%). Aligned with Sotheby’s Asia expansion strategy, this initiative marks one of Asia’s key focuses to further connect with our clients in the region and promote greater access to remarkable objects all year round. Following the staging of next month’s Sotheby’s En Route handbag exhibition in Hong Kong, ‘Buy Now’ will further expand into mainland China in 2023.
