From Zoom styling consultations to digital VIP dinners and dial-in personal shopping experiences luxury brands have had to be innovative to woo the wealthy and add the splendor to the spending.
The pandemic accelerated digital uptake in luxury, forcing brands to engage and experiment with new technologies from virtual clothing to virtual catwalks and virtual showrooms.
Two years ago, 80% of luxury sales were influenced by online, according to Mckinsey, and is likely to be higher now. This could be seeing fashion opinions from friends on social media, to getting suggestions from an influencer on YouTube to buying crystal-embellished Jimmy Choo heels on Farfetch.
So, what does this mean going forward? Luxury brands will have to emulate the premium experiences they’ve created in-store, online. And they’re up against the rise of pure-play brands like Farfetch and Net-a-Porter who are pioneering digital luxury experiences focused on data.
However, luxury requires a refined strategy compared with other eCommerce sectors. Purchases can be more considered and take longer. They are not dictated by price, which works for fast fashion. In fact, in luxury, it has the opposite effect.
In the past, luxury brands have dictated the terms of engagement. With the rise of social media, ownership of the brand is shifting. Co-creation is more apparent. Brand image and buy-in have moved towards the domain of the consumer. It is no longer dictated by a management team in the Swiss Alps or a Milanese mansion.
Let’s explore some of those luxury digital trends brands are deploying.
Online drops
Luxury brands are moving to this model to stay constantly relevant. They market new items on a monthly basis, instead of just seasonally in accordance with the annual fashion week schedule. A buzz is created via Instagram or WeChat before a product goes live. Brands fuel anticipation among followers by using countdown clocks and push notifications. Supreme own it, while Louis Vuitton and Burberry have successfully adopted this approach.
Virtual assistants
These can be engaged via video links and are an increasingly important feature in luxury eCommerce. Net-A-Porter is expanding its offering, hiring more than 100 new personal shoppers and client relations managers, pairing the most loyal customers with a dedicated personal shopper. Gucci is opening six customer service centers, staffed by 500 people, reinventing the traditional shop assistant for the smartphone age. The centers deal with enquiries by phone, email, or live chat. Virtual personal styling is also part of this movement.
Blockchain
With high-end online sales growing, authenticity via digital purchases is vital. Luxury brands are deploying blockchain or distributed ledger technology (DLT) to ensure authenticity and traceability. This involves a so-called “single source of truth”, reconciled between parties such as wholesalers, stores, luxury brands, and their partners if a transaction is to be completed. It can be used to verify whether goods are fake or not.
Influencers
This involves deploying personas that resonate with high-net worth consumers, as well as the luxury ecosystem as a whole. Influencer campaigns are multi-dimensional. The market is sub-divided into those prominent in fashion, travel or fitness. Brands have to work with many different interest-based influencers to penetrate new areas where their products can be discovered.
Influencer ROI is crucial, especially in the luxury sector where costs can be high. This is also the age of call-out culture, where authenticity trumps everything. Brands are moving towards co-creating, where influencers, customers and data from consumers inform the next iteration of luxury products and experiences.
Leveling-up social
High-end consumers continue to look for novelty in their social media feeds. Look out for the rise of niche social platforms such as TikTok, and expect luxury consumers to seek out more intimate digital spaces. The digital commons will be rife with those looking for more meaningful, life-enhancing connections with like-minded people and brands.
The social-media-sphere is not standing still either, expect traction through Instagram and Snapchat as social shopping comes to the fore. There will also be more fluidity between both stores and online. It will be crucial for luxury brands to offer unique experiences that connect customers’ social and online lives to their physical environments. Burberry’s social retail store in China is a prime example.
Blended reality
Many luxury brands are looking at using technologies that enhance their presence in the market. Gucci has been teaming up with Genies, an avatar platform. Users of the technology can dress digital figurines in Gucci’s fashions and send them to friends via WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook Messenger. In an era where retail has truly become 24/7, this collaboration hits the mark on delivering high-fashion to consumers exactly where they are, when they want it and, most importantly, how they want it.
Gaming
The convergence of gaming and luxury looks set to grow, brands increasingly realise the power of immersing consumers in a digital experience. For instance, in 2019, Louis Vuitton was the first luxury brand to team up with Riot Games and their online video offering League of Legends. The luxury fashion house offered in-game skins and a corresponding capsule collection by a top designer. Louis Vuitton also designed a carrying case for the League of Legends World Championship trophy, known as the Summoner’s Cup.
Unboxing
It is said that unboxing is the new storefront, even more so post-pandemic. Social media ‘unboxing’ trends with countless influencer posts dedicated to filming the unpacking of a luxury shopping haul have worked to place additional focus on packaging. This will increasingly play an important role in elevating the luxury eCommerce experience. With affluent consumers increasingly shopping online, creating a delightful, memorable premium unboxing experience will be crucial.
The challenge for luxury brands will be to find the right balance between luxurious packaging and sustainability goals. Worthy, not wasteful will be the new mantra. There will be luxury brands trialing new sustainable materials, digital storytelling around these elements and reimagining of packaging as treasured keepsakes.
So, what’s next?
Younger shoppers will deliver a great deal of growth for luxury goods and will shape how luxury goods are bought and sold. These are digital natives, more socially conscious and very active on digital platforms.
It’s not only about online – they just don’t view offline and online shopping as two separate entities. Brands need to consider how to weave new digital experiences into the retail experience and offer a combined, improved purchasing experience, from and social media, to mobile payments and in-store retail experiences.
The opportunity is now. If a brand is more adaptable with a more comprehensive digital offering, powered by data, the cloud, digitized supply chains, and enhanced online experiences for customers, those brands will realize these benefits even more when the pandemic has passed, stores are opened and footfall returns.