Mainland luxury Chinese consumers are becoming increasingly open to shopping for, and finding information about, luxury brands online with news portals.

Weibo is one of the most popular sources for information, according to the results of a survey released November 28 by PR group Ruder Finn Asia.

The survey was conducted among 1057 Mainland Chinese luxury shoppers by Ruder Finn Asia as part of its China Luxury Forecast.

For a city that prides itself on being one of the world’s great shopping destinations, 2011 has been a stellar year for Hong Kong.

Major brands such as Apple and Hogan have already created much fanfare with the opening of flagship and a concept store here, respectively.

And the shopping landscape was extended further Tuesday as the Harvey Nichols brand welcomed shoppers into its 83,000-square-foot (7710 sq m] flagship in the city’s Pacific Place mall, set in the Admiralty district.

You don’t have to tell the people at Prada how valuable the Chinese market for luxury goods has become — the Italian fashion icon is so keen to set up a base out East that it is about to be listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange.

In fact, such has been the rush by the world’s luxury brands to get a foothold in China that there are, apparently, little to no spaces left for them in the malls of the country’s largest cities.

Bad news for the brands themselves — keen to get a slice of a market estimated to be now worth 84 billion yuan (nine billion euros) a year — but it is good news for China’s fast-growing number of online luxury-only shopping portals.

According to a Women’s Wear Daily report, young Japanese shoppers are less impressed by designer brands and more value-driven than their parents.

The consulting firm McKinsey & Co. already reported last July that “almost 30 percent of shoppers under 30 in Japan named price as the most important factor they consider when shopping, compared to just 21 percent for those over age 50″.

As a result of its economic collapse, Japan’s per-head spending has radically declined — a trend that will continue — with the luxury market being particularly affected, having shrunk by 23 percent between 2006 and 2010.

Marc Jacobs has launched its first e-commerce site (marcjacobs.com).

The new e-commerce site is playful, unique and innovative and brings the online storefront alive through a mix of whimsical illustration, photography and video.

The look for Marc Jacob’s first e-commerce site was designed to go back to the roots of the Marc Jacobs brand, which is fun, entertaining and engaging.

UK-based department store chain Selfridges has unveiled the world’s biggest shoe department (35,000 sq ft) named Selfridges Shoe Galleries in London, designed by Canadian architect Jamie Fobert.

The Shoe Galleries houses more than 5,000 shoes from 120 brands, including 35 new labels and more than 30 exclusive styles designed just for the retailer.

The space includes 11 “apartment” boutiques for the department’s premiere labels – including, Christian Louboutin, Jimmy Choo, Chanel, Dior, Prada, and Gucci – which were each designed in accordance with the labels’ distinct looks.