Luxury Fashion

Helping Customers Envision, Luxury, Luxury Fashion

“Thinking” about Luxury

September 17, 2015November 1, 2015by Victoria MacdonaldLeave a Comment

Does your heart quicken when you see someone carrying a Chanel bag? Do your eyes widen when you spy a Lexus LS turning the corner? It’s been said that luxury is not defined by need but by desire. There’s a certain feeling you get when wearing, driving, or obtaining the luxury item. You feel special.

Many of the posts in this blog talk about the role desire plays in luxury sales and customer service (see What’s it to you?” – Igniting Customer Desire and The Value of Luxury). The CEO of Hermès, Axel Dumas, understands how integral creating desire is to his company: Continue reading ““Thinking” about Luxury” →

Brand, Customer Experience, Customer Service, Fashion, Helping Customers Envision, Luxury Brand, Luxury Sales Training

Once Upon a Time: Telling Luxury’s Story

March 11, 2015April 3, 2015by Victoria Macdonald1 Comment

“Only 19 percent of consumers believe sales associates have relevant information,” says Adam Silverman, principal analyst at Forrester Research, San Francisco. “That’s very shocking and that’s clearly an indicator that the sales associate role needs to change.”

One way in which you can change that role is to perfect the art of telling luxury’s story. A good story engages and excites the listener. Stories create emotions and those emotions, in turn, drive desire. We buy luxury items not because we need them, but because we desire them.

Continue reading “Once Upon a Time: Telling Luxury’s Story” →

Brand, Customer Experience, Customer Service, Fashion, Luxury Brand, Luxury Sales Training

The Rarity of Platinum Service

February 8, 2015April 3, 2015by Victoria Macdonald3 Comments

Platinum is more expensive than gold because it is rarer. Similarly, a platinum level of service is more precious than the “gold standard” of service offered by most sales professionals. The Golden Rule states: “Treat other people as we would wish to be treated ourselves.” It is the rare sales professional, however, who knows and lives by the Platinum Rule: “Treat other people as they would wish to be treated.” The difference comes down to a small, but meaningful, change in perspective.

Continue reading “The Rarity of Platinum Service” →

Brand, Customer Service, Luxury Brand

It’s All About That Service!

December 18, 2014January 16, 2015by Victoria Macdonald2 Comments

The month of December is traditionally one for giving and receiving gifts. It seems fitting then, as I try to select the perfect present, that I’ve spent most of the month addressing the question “What is Luxury?” (see “Is the term “luxury brand” overhyped?” and “More on What is Luxury?“).

We may have to leave the year with the question unanswered, or at the very least, we may have to settle for a paradox, according to a recent article in The Economist: “The Modern Luxury Industry Rests on a Paradox.”

I thought it fitting to wrap up the year with this article. It covers all aspects of the luxury question from many perspectives: age, geography, politics, world events, and social climate. Continue reading “It’s All About That Service!” →

Brand, Fashion, Luxury Sales Training

Finding Luxury Talent

November 21, 2014December 10, 2014by Victoria Macdonald2 Comments

My last post talked about educational institutions that now offer Luxury MBA degrees. This led to the question—what happens once you have such as degree? Interestingly, I just ran across an article from the Boston Consulting Group titled, “Minding the Talent Gap: Fashion and Luxury’s Greatest Challenge for the Next Decade.” The article reveals that luxury companies are struggling to find the right talent. What a perfect time to evaluate whether those Luxury MBA programs provide the same skills and knowledge that luxury and fashion brands seek today. For example, needed skills at the executive level are: analytical and creative skills; retail, product, and brand expertise; and international experience. Continue reading “Finding Luxury Talent” →

Brand, Customer Experience, Customer Service, Luxury Sales Training

Luxury Institute’s Seven Trends Shaping Luxury in 2015

November 16, 2014by Victoria MacdonaldLeave a Comment

Following is a link to the seven trends the Luxury Institute forecasts for 2015:

Click here to view the Luxury Institute’s Seven Trends Shaping Luxury in 2015.

After reading through the list, some of my key takeaways are:

There is over saturation in the luxury sector. Brands will need to do an even better job of differentiating their products and services. Customer service, relationship building and social outreach are critical.
Leaders must strive to inspire, empower, measure and reinforce best practices.
It’s all about developing relationships, particularly across channels. (See my previous post What the Luxury Sales Associate Needs to Know in an Omni-Channel World).

Also, and very importantly, look for luxury brands to empower store sales associates who have multi-channel clients to reach out and build human relationships after the client purchases in any channel.

Brand, Customer Experience, Customer Service, Luxury Sales Training

What the Luxury Sales Associate Needs to Know in an Omni-Channel World

November 4, 2014December 10, 2014by Victoria Macdonald1 Comment

More and more luxury and fashion brands are using omni-channel retailing to maximize their brand exposure and increase purchasing opportunities for their customers. For omni-channel to work successfully, the brand message needs to be consistent across all consumer touch points, including in-store, online, mobile apps, social networking, etc. In order to deliver a seamless customer experience, sales associates will need a new level of training in technology, product and processes. Continue reading “What the Luxury Sales Associate Needs to Know in an Omni-Channel World” →

Brand, Customer Experience, Customer Service, Fashion, Luxury Sales Training

The Value of Luxury

October 27, 2014December 10, 2014by Victoria Macdonald2 Comments

Luxury has been defined as something that is pleasant to have or experience, but is not a necessity. The concepts of exclusivity and rarity can also factor into the definition of luxury. Value, on the other hand, is determined by the relation of price to perceived benefit. But if luxury is not a necessity, then how do we determine its value? Continue reading “The Value of Luxury” →

Customer Experience, Customer Service, Luxury Sales Training

Securing the Sale: What Should Luxury Retail Security Look Like?

October 17, 2014October 20, 2014by Victoria MacdonaldLeave a Comment

Last week I visited a well-known electronics retailer to purchase a new tablet. The battery on my own tablet was no longer holding a charge and I thought I’d try some of the new models. I visited this specific retailer knowing they had various test models on display. Of course, the devices were cabled to the display stands to prevent pilfering—this makes sense. However, as I picked up a test model an alarm went off. It wasn’t loud enough to be heard throughout the store, but it was loud enough to be annoying. I spotted a salesperson and asked for assistance. Her reply was that she wasn’t authorized to disable the alarm and I would have to wait for a tech person. After a few minutes a tech person arrived and shut off the alarm. He warned me, however, the alarm was quite sensitive and would probably go off again. He suggested I visit another area in the store dedicated to that manufacturer. I waited there approximately 10 minutes as the single salesperson assisted another customer. Frustrated, I returned to the original display and picked up a different model tablet. Guess what? More alarms! I left the store.

Continue reading “Securing the Sale: What Should Luxury Retail Security Look Like?” →

Brand, Customer Service, Fashion

Do You Expect the Same Level of Service Shopping a Luxury Brand Online as You Do in the Store?

October 9, 2014by Victoria Macdonald3 Comments

In an article originally written for Retail Week, Martin Newman complains that he does not receive the same level of luxury service when purchasing an expensive Balenciaga handbag online as he would in the store. To be clear, Mr. Newman purchased the bag through fashion etailer Matches Fashion, which guaranteed him next-day delivery within a three-hour window. Mr. Newman wanted the handbag to be delivered within a one-hour window and felt he should be accommodated considering the price he was paying for the handbag. (I’m not sure who quickly he’d have received the bag if he’d purchased it at www.balenciaga.com directly.)

What are your thoughts? Do you feel you receive better service from a luxury brand when you visit the physical store than when you buy online? Please add your comments below.