Luxury brands are revamping connections between online and offline shopping channels ahead of high-spending Chinese tourists’ return to the world’s fashion hotspots, said industry executives.

Digital avatars, gamification and white-glove online services are part of the new retail experience demanded by Chinese shoppers after three years of strict COVID restrictions and reliance on e-commerce.

As they start to roam again after China’s borders reopened on Jan. 8, these travelers want the same seamless and fun shopping journey overseas as they get at home. They may also be looking for something highly specific that they have already researched online.

“Consumers have changed drastically over the past few years. They’re even more connected and tech-savvy,” said Paris-based Alibaba Group executive Nicolas Cano who helps French, Swiss and German luxury brands sell to Chinese consumers.