DISQUS

Conscripti · 2 months ago

Well, Mongolia may be the furthest corner of the world in the minds of the regular users of such brands, but doesn't it signify that we have come to an era where we could attract an investment from highly prestigious companies of the world, and host their products in our soil? Even McDonalds don't invest in Mongolia, because of lack of market, but here we are letting these Gucci Versace competing each other even for that very few who could afford it. It's symbolic, and it's good.

bilgoon · 2 months ago

Interesting way of looking at it. Personally, I am neither for or against luxury brands coming in. Yes, it is somewhat symbolic of our growing economy, it is also symbolic of Mongolia becoming just another consumerist society. In very very small steps, of course, but it may after all be where we're headed. Sustainable development will not be very easy if we do that.

As far as McDonalds is concerned, it's a good thing they're not here yet.

savethepopulation · 2 months ago

Why WOULD you want McDonald's?

This is all part of the current failed model of globalization, cultural hegemony, etc.

Businesses are free to do as they please...I am just worried about the negative effects of the corporate mind control/programming on Mongolians who THINK this is what they want simply because it is advertised to them 24/7. Of course they will fall for the consumerist-materialism as we all have.

I suppose it also serves as a function of the wealth transfer from West to East.

amstravels · 2 months ago

I doubt LV and Macdonalds are after the same market, but its the same end result of seeing the same bland branding worldwide (for LV, in the proliferation of ripoffs rather than originals).

@ savethepopulation: That's not wealth transfer from West to East, most of the money from those enterprises wouldn't stay in Mongolia! Few exceptions? e.g. Staff salaries, even most of the building construction would go to Chinese operators.

Bio · 2 months ago

The thing is, the luxury market is changing rapidly in a direction that makes them more affordable to a brighter spectrum of people. At least brands like Gucci, LV etc. Mind you, there are brands that only really rich people buy (like... dunno, I'm not really rich lol), but nowadays you can buy LV bags for 300 euro and that's actually very very cheap. I think it makes a lot of sense for these brands to be present in UB early on, cuz:

a) It's kinda got an ambition of developing its own haute couture and maybe becoming in its region smthn like what Seoul is trying hard to become (personally, I think UB's got a much better shot at becoming an Asian Milan than Seoul).

b) It sits in the middle of a huge and extremely fast growing market of Siberia and northern China.

c) To limit the desirability of counterfeit of their brands.

Hail UB, the Dubai/Milan/Hong Kong of north Asia!

dorj · 1 month ago

burgers are not healthy. the wealthy and the health-conscious do not eat them. in mongolia, they eat too much red meat anyway. so it's a good thing mcdonald's is not there. a ub is ub, why pretend it's paris or london or new york and chase after a louis vuitton, or whatever else it is.