The luxury fashion industry has been slow to warm up to the idea of selling their creations on the internet. They fear that making their designs available with a click of a mouse will detract from the snob appeal of exclusivity. And heaven forbid that designer labels should be found on Amazon. Still, the lure of reaching a large market is of interest to any business.
Enter Italy’s Yoos Group. Yoos Group is an online retailer catering to luxury brands, including Armani, Pucci, Alexander McQueen and the like. (A Lux Look for E-Commerce,” by Caroline Fairchild, Fortune, June 16, 2014 pg. 83.) Promotions through them have met with great success. The 1 billion industry in 2003 has grown to 13.5 billion in 2013. The secret to their success is algorithms. The company has developed several to identify tastes of wealthy clients from different parts of the globe and to adjust prices accordingly. (Ibid, pg. 84)
On the consumer side, this “tailored” approach is a welcome convenience. Imagine the delight of a Texas cattle maven, separated from the nearest Pucci salon by hundreds of miles of tumbleweed, when she discovers she can purchase a gauzy gown with the click of a mouse. Sure there’s no fawning salesperson to flatter her, but it’s a small price to pay for access.
Most women love to shop and shopping via the internet is no exception. Marilyn Monroe said it best: “Give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world.”
Cinderella did.
Courtesy of www.topdesigning.com
