China's development of native luxury brands will have no impact on the continued expansion of western luxury goods companies there, according to the chief executive of Coach, the US leather goods and accessories brand. Lew Frankfort said the worldwide economic slowdown was set to raise further China's importance to the luxury goods sector, not just as a manufacturing centre but, more significantly, as a growing consumer market. While Coach announced in January that it would halve its rate of expansion in North America, reducing the number of annual store openings there from 40 to 20, Mr. Frankfort said he was likely to accelerate development plans in China. Speaking at the end of a visit to China, he said: "I am leaving this trip with a view that our numbers might be conservative . . . We see sophisticated [Chinese] consumers shopping and international brands thriving." Coach estimates that China will represent 10 per cent of the $25bn glob al luxury handbag and accessories market by 2010. The US group currently has 17 shops in mainland China, in addition to eight stores in Hong Kong and two in Macao. The Chinese mainland has more than 100 cities that have populations of more than 1m, and "all of these cities will be candidates for Coach one day", said Mr. Frankfort.