Tech advances in the luxury retail sector are providing quicker access, improved customisation and more convenience
Luxury fashion, car and food industries offer customers a new shopping experience
Exciting things are happening in the luxury world. As technology grows at an unprecedented speed in the digital era, the luxury shopping experience for today’s consumers, who are as impatient as they are demanding, has been taken to a new level.
The development of digital technology – from the internet and portable smart devices to the “internet of things” – has heavily influenced the growth of e-commerce in the retail market, and much of the sector is stepping up to change the way they do business. In the world of luxury, this means customising products for the consumer as much as possible, while minimising hassle and maximising convenience through the most efficient use of the technology available.
Burberry is one such forerunner in the retail industry. It uses the latest innovations to bring the customer closer to the product and the brand, in both location and waiting time.
Extending its partnership with the world’s hi-tech magnates, including Apple, Google and Tencent, the British fashion house has heavily incorporated digital innovation in its retailing strategy. The latest is the pioneering “see-now, buy-now” system supported by live broadcasts of the house’s fashion shows through different digital platforms, such as Apple TV, LINE, Periscope and Snapchat, delivered to eager audiences around the world.
This innovation means that fashionistas and brand enthusiasts can now skip the six-month wait for production and own their favourite picks right after the shows. Burberry CEO Christopher Bailey describes this as being able to capture “the spirit of a moment”, allowing “a unique, real-time view of the creation of [Burberry’s] shows which will include an unprecedented collection launch, hours before they hit the runway”.
The livestream tactic is strategically complemented by the launch of another marketing breakthrough – the live showing of the brand’s advertising campaign and shoot, which Bailey expects to make the brand’s products “much more immediate and accessible”. Meanwhile, Mario Testino, a world-famous photographer who is handling the shoot, is hoping to open up “a completely new way of capturing and sharing content – with the result being much more instant and genuine”. Other fashion maisons have invested in other aspects of retailing. Dior and Tommy Hilfiger have given three-dimensional shopping a try by introducing in-store virtual-reality headsets to bring shoppers to live runway shows in what Tommy Hilfiger describes as “a compelling and interesting elevation of the traditional shopping experience”.
Virtual reality has clearly made a significant difference to product visualisation – a process that is key to consumer satisfaction, and the most dedicated brands are using a combination of virtual-reality and 3D technology to ensure consumers are getting exactly what they want through design customisation and enhanced interaction with the product.
In the automotive industry, for example, companies use 3D scanning to enable optimal sizing and creating models for the best fit, then implement virtual reality to allow the consumer to visualise the individually configured product, and finally, using the latest 3D printing technology to flawlessly produce the design.