Pandora has officially opened a $150 million manufacturing plant in the Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park III near Ho Chi Minh City. This 7.5-hectare site represents the Danish jewelry company's first major production expansion outside of its traditional hubs.
The $150 million bet on Ho Chi Minh City's industrial hub
The new facility is not just a scale-up in production but a statement on sustainability and technology. According to the report from WWD,the 7.5-hectare site is designed to operate on 100 percent renewable electricity and utilizes advanced digital manufacturing solutions to streamline its output.
Pandora's president and CEO Berta de Pablos-Barbier noted that the decision to enter Vietnam was driven by the country's economic stability and a "rich tradition of jewelry crafting" that rivals Thailand. By establishing this footprint in the southern part of the country , Pandora aims to build the neecssary infrastructure to support its long-term growth targets.
Training 7,000 crafters through the Pandora Crafting Academy
To ensure the quality of its pieces, Pandora is investing heavily in human capital. The company has already deployed 25 experienced craftspeople from Thailand to Vietnam to mentor new hires. This training is centralized in the Pandora Crafting Academy, which focuses on 35 distinct skills across five different areas of jewelry making.
The scale of the workforce expansion is significant. While the facility opened with 700 craftspeople, as WWD reported, Pandora expects that number to reach 1,000 by the end of the year and eventually grow to 7,000 employees. The training process is rigorous, often taking up to six months for a worker to become a fully multiskilled crafter.
From gold-plated heart charms to a 60-million-piece annual capacity
The Vietnam plant is designed for massive volume, with a potential annual output of 60 million pieces of jewelry. To put this in perspective, Pandora's annual report indicates the company produced more than 112 million pieces in 2025. while the company is not hitting maximum capacity on day one, the headroom allows for aggressive scaling.
Production in Vietnam will initially center on gold-plated jewelry, starting with a personalizable dangle heart charm. This specific piece was given to the initial 700 employees as a memento. While platinum-plated items are currently being produced in Thailand, the company suggests these may eventually transition to the Vietnam facility.
Dame Pat McGrath and the push for 'cultural desirability'
This industrial expansion is happening alongside a broader brand pivot. CEO Berta de Pablos-Barbier is steering Pandora away from being an "anonymous brand" and toward becoming a fixture of internet and fashion culture. This shift is evident in the brand's recent high-profile collaborations, including a partnership with legendary makeup artist Dame Pat McGrath launching in October.
The strategy mirrors a wider trend among mid-luxury brands attempting to bridge the gap between mass-market accessibility and high-fashion prestige. By pairing the "human element" of its craftspeople with stylists like Harry Lambert—who collaborated with Pandora on the Wonders platform in July—the brand is attempting to increase its desirability among a younger, trend-conscious demographic.
The timeline for platinum-plated jewelry in Vietnam
Despite the scale of the investment,several details remain unconfirmed. specifically, Pandora has not provided a concrete date for when platinum-plated production will move from Thailand to the Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park III, leaving a gap in the known production roamap.
Additionally, while the company announced a strategic update is coming in November, the specific nature of these updates remains unknown. It is unclear if this will involve new product lines or further shifts in the global supply chain ahead of the 2027 Capital Markets Day.
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