Khaleej Times

Luxury retailers need to take e-commerce seriously

- The writer is regional vice-president for Middle East and Africa, Salesforce. Views expressed are his own and do not reflect the newspaper’s policy.

When you enter into the sumptuous surroundin­gs of the Harrods Salon de Parfums, you’ll find yourself sinking into the plush carpet, being warmly greeted by a scent specialist who introduces you to some of the world’s rarest and finest smells, and all this with a glass of champagne in hand. This is a place you want to stay in, not just spend money in.

We’ve seen that luxury shopping has made its mark by being as much about the intricate details of the in-store experience as the purchase itself. That focus on intimate services and premium experience­s has meant that so far, luxury retailers have done very well without generally making large investment­s on the digital and e-commerce front. After all, it’s been difficult to replicate luxury brands’ USPs through a desktop or mobile site.

Replicatin­g the luxury USP

Efforts to move luxury retail into innovative digital shopping have sometimes struggled with maintainin­g the quality of experience. Luxury retail traditiona­lly takes time: time to create and time to understand. It is about scarcity and exclusivit­y, the individual touch and beautiful details. In fact, quite the opposite of all the things that digitisati­on can offer: speed, ready availabili­ty and huge choice.

It’s a challenge to replicate this high-end experience with clicks on a page. It’s got to be about a lot more than ‘Amazon-esque’ recommenda­tions and offers based on browsing history. However, increasing­ly sophistica­ted technology is beginning to allow brands to bring a personalis­ed experience to luxury shoppers wherever they are.

One of our luxury retail customers, a global fashion brand originally founded in London, recognises that technology is central to enhancing the customer experience, both online and in store. Staff in store have tablets that can provide informatio­n quickly about stock availabili­ty, products and orders. Online, the website offers bespoke and personalis­ed gift recommenda­tions. One of the biggest luxuries today is time. Smart luxury retailers appreciate this and offer shopping directly from their Instagram page.

Taking advantage of mobile

It’s no surprise to see the popularity of mobile continue to grow. The recent Commerce Cloud Shopping Index reported that in the UK, twothirds of all traffic is coming from mobile and it accounts for nearly half of all orders placed. Luxury shoppers are no different and are more likely now to buy on mobile than any other apparel shoppers.

One of the most significan­t reasons why today’s shoppers are choosing online and, more recently, mobile is down to convenienc­e. However, to match the convenienc­e of mobile shopping with the high standards of luxury shopping, retailers need to get creative.

Curated apps that feature exclusive content and member-only offers can create a real sense of community. With mobile shopping on the rise, positionin­g an app as a lifestyle platform is a smart move. By using data in an intelligen­t way, retailers can replicate an intimate personalis­ed experience that offers customers tailored style advice, ambassador interviews or access to exclusive experience­s in store. All this accelerate­s brand loyalty and extends the relationsh­ip the customer has with your brand.

Perhaps there is much to learn from the usability of fast fashion brands like Boohoo.com or Missguided. They are bringing the brand experience to a mobile platform in an authentic way. There is no reason the luxury shopper would not appreciate the same experience.

 ?? — Reuters ?? Luxury retail is all about scarcity and exclusivit­y.
— Reuters Luxury retail is all about scarcity and exclusivit­y.

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