Luxury Institute News

May 15, 2012

Will Christian Louboutin Beauté dilute the brand name?

Posted in Fashion,Fragrance/Cosmetics/Skin Care,Luxury Brands,Luxury Leaders,Luxury Market,Marketing,Retail,Shoes,Wealthy Consumer
Tags: Batallure Beauty, beauty products, Chanel, Christian Louboutin, Luxury Market, Milton Pedraza, Wealthy Consumers —

By Tricia Carr
Luxury Daily
May 14, 2012

French footwear designer Christian Louboutin will begin selling beauty products in late 2013, which could leverage the brand across a mainstream category as long as it does not dilute the name.

Louboutin announced last week that it will partner with Batallure Beauty to create and market Christian Louboutin Beauté products. While some experts say this is a good move to broaden the consumer base, others feel that a beauty line could dilute the brand.

“Christian Louboutin has established a strong brand around a single product line of high-end designer shoe with the immediately-recognizable red sole,” said Karen Kreamer, president of K2 Brand Consulting, Overland Park, KS. ”Extending the brand into beauty products is a good first step before determining how, or if, the brand should be further extended.

Click the link to read the entire article which includes quotes from Milton Pedraza, CEO of Luxury Institute: http://www.luxurydaily.com/christian-louboutin-enters-beauty-biz-with/

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April 7, 2012

PPR, Balenciaga leverage public awareness through museum exhibit

Posted in Fashion,Luxury Brands,Museum,Wealthy Consumer
Tags: Balenciaga, Milton Pedraza, PPR —

By Tricia Carr
Luxury Daily
April 6, 2012

French conglomerate PPR Group will join the House of Balenciaga to sponsor a museum exhibition called “Cristóbal Balenciaga, Collectionneur de Modes” in Paris that presents the heritage of Balenciaga through historical clothing items and the designer’s life story.

Beginning April 13, the exhibit will be displayed at the at the Docks – Cité de la Mode et du Design through October. The exhibit will showcase one of PPR’s fashion house’s timeless appeal through a historical fashion collection that honors the late designer, Cristóba Balenciaga.

“I think supporting these gallery exhibitions is the right way to spend PPR’s marketing funds that are for nonprofit endeavors,” said Milton Pedraza, CEO of the Luxury Institute, New York.

“It is a great way for PPR to invest marketing funds in something that is noncommercial,” he said. “It is a legitimate museum that has great art and history and [the sponsorship] creates wonderful awareness.”

In addition to Balenciaga, PPR brands include Gucci, Bottega Veneta, Yves Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen, Brioni, Stella McCartney, Sergio Rossi, Boucheron, Girard-Perregaux, JeanRichard, Puma, Volcom, Cobra, Electric, Tretorn and Fnac.

Cristóbal’s couture
Cristóbal Balenciaga, Collectionneur de Modes will pay tribute to the late designer near the 40th anniversary of his death.

The exhibit is one of a series of external exhibits organized by the Galliera Museum.

There will be more than 70 costumes and clothing items and 40 coats and dresses on display that were designed by Mr. Balenciaga between 1937 and 1968.

The pieces in the museum exhibit were gathered from the Galliera’s collection or are on loan from the designer’s family.

“This sponsoring partnership represents another opportunity for PPR to show its support for its fashion houses whose heritage and history are quintessential to their formidable creative impetus,” PPR said in a statement.

“In this way, PPR advocates a vision of fashion that is, at once, sustainable, generous and inspired and which has timeless appeal,” the conglomerate said.

“An exhibition that emphasizes the exceptional heritage and strong identity of the Balenciaga house, especially in Paris where the Balenciaga house was founded in 1936, is of natural interest for both Balenciaga and its parent company PPR.”

Visitors to the exhibit will view items such as casaquins, satin torero costumes, velvet boleros, capes, bustle dresses, cashmere stoles, lace mantillas and samples of embroidery.

Accessories, photographs and the designer’s sketches will also be displayed.

“This exhibit is for affluent, educated consumers to view the art of the most famous fashion designers,” Mr. Pedraza said. “It is an opportunity to educate the public and create awareness and affection for the brand.

“It is what I would call the logical, educational marketing that only a great luxury brand can implement,” he said. “I think it humanizes Mr. Balenciaga and it humanizes the brand.

“It is a powerful combination of these factors.”

Museum manifesto

PPR will leverage itself through this sponsorship by showing its support for its fashion houses, claims the brand.

Museums exhibits seem to be a way for luxury marketers to expose themselves to a highly-educated, affluent audience.

For example, French fashion label Chanel presented a Little Black Jacket exhibit in Tokyo that displayed 113 photographs taken by creative director Karl Lagerfeld from the book “The Little Black Jacket: Chanels classic revisited by Karl Lagerfeld and Carine Roitfeld,” which will release this fall.

Chanel marketed its museum show with an e-exhibition of the photos, behind-the-scenes video footage of the photoshoots and promotion via social media.

In addition, French brand Hermès will open its Hermès Leather Forever exhibit May 8 in London that will emphasize the handcraftsmanship and strong history behind the brand.

“I think PPR and Balenciaga are trying to reach average fans of the brand and fashion, in general, and both men and women,” Mr. Pedraza said. “They’re a very educated set of people who love art, history and fashion.

“What they are doing is wonderful storytelling through the garments and the story of the designer,” he said. “People love to see the story of how these designers evolved.”

http://www.luxurydaily.com/ppr-balenciaga-leverage-public-awareness-through-museum-exhibit/

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March 3, 2012

What DiorMag says about the brand

Posted in Customer Experience,Fashion,Internet/Web,Luxury Brands,Luxury Leaders,Luxury Market,Wealthy Consumer
Tags: Chanel, Christian Dior, Christian Louboutin, Customer Experience, Luxury Market, Milton Pedraza, mobile applications, Technology, Wealthy Consumers —

By Rachel Lamb
Luxury Daily
March 2, 2012

French fashion label Christian Dior announced the launch of DiorMag, an online magazine that positions the brand as an innovative storyteller, entertainer and purveyor of the height of luxury products.

DiorMag is available as a section on the Dior Web site and includes articles, images, current news and product galleries. DiorMag has the potential to secure brand loyalists and drive transactions, per experts.

“I think what the magazine does is that it tries to create a lot of relevant and interesting content about the brand and the people behind it,” said Milton Pedraza, CEO of the Luxury Institute, New York. “Therefore, it’s a great vehicle for storytelling that educates and entertains consumers and that enhances the opportunity to have consumers be loyal to the brand because they know the story behind it.

“It meets the criteria for great content, it’s not purely infomercial,” he said. “In this case, it’s well-optimized because it’s telling its own stories with objectivity and decorum, not just a hard-sell.”

Mr. Pedraza is not affiliated with Dior, but agreed to comment as an industry expert.

Dior did not respond before press deadline.

Dear Dior
DiorMag is split up into a few sections including report, monsieur Dior, Dior over the world and all about Dior.

In those sections are topics including woman, Dior Homme, baby Dior, fragrance, makeup, skincare, jewelry, timepieces and Dior phone. These are the sections of the Dior Web site.

Clicking on a topic or section pulls together all of the relevant articles.

One article currently on-site is “in real time,” a live-stream of the fall/winter 2012-2013 ready-to-wear collection today at 9:30 Eastern Time.

Another piece is “Miss au Pluriel,” a video and image gallery of brand ambassador Mila Kunis and the Miss Dior handbag campaign (see story).

The story “2012-1947: Now, then and back again” fully relays the history and depth of the Dior brand, which is a very important part of the magazine.

“Most media is undergoing rapid transformation today as digital convergence keeps lending to new ways for storytelling. interaction and innovation,” said Paul Farkas, president/CEO of Social.TV, New York.

“Luxury brands are now all high-powered media houses and digital magazines are one key way to attract consumers with enhanced and extended content,” he said.

Storied telling
DiorMag is one in a few brands that are upping connectivity through online publications.

For example, French fashion brand Chanel’s Chanel News site has a presence as its own site as well as on the brand’s mobile application.

Consumers can learn about the brand history, catch up on current news and see exclusive content.

In fact, Chanel’s new video for its Boy handbag collection, “My New Friend Boy” was released on the Chanel News site (see story).

In addition, Christian Louboutin has its own “Louboutin Times” newspaper that it uses to relay information and exclusive content.

“This is the next generation of digital marketing,” said Chris Ramey, president of Affluent Insights, Miami.

“Ease of shopping, along with speed and pleasure, add value to luxury brand magazine,” he said.

However, there are some drawbacks to a digital magazine.

“There are some clunky areas that will be fixed, and their contents page will become more attractive,” Mr. Ramey said. “A couple times I found myself back on the site rather than the magazine – and it wasn’t always natural where to explore next.”

However, Dior, Chanel and Louboutin have something that other brands do not – their history.

Legacy and heritage are two of the main weapons that old luxury brands have in their arsenal, per Luxury Institute’s Mr. Pedraza.

“This isn’t for every brand,” Mr. Pedraza said. “If you’re not well historically-endowed, you’ll have a hard time getting this across.

“However, Dior is fortunate that it has this legacy that it can draw on and contemporize,” he said.

http://www.luxurydaily.com/what-diormag-says-about-the-brand/

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February 21, 2012

Mystery Shoppers on Luxury Brands In-Store vs. Online

Posted in Customer Experience,Customer Service/CRM,Fashion,Luxury Brands,Mystery Shoppers
Tags: Burberry, Chanel, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Prada —

By Accessories Staff
February 20, 2012
Accessories

New York—Burberry earned top marks for its in-store and online experiences among luxury brands in a recent mystery shopper study, according to the WealthSurvey from the Luxury Institute.

Conducted by Professor Veronica Marlow of Brooklyn College, the mystery shoppers survey recruited a panel of 167 fashion marketing and merchandising students who paid some 263 visits to Manhattan store locations of Burberry, Chanel, Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Prada. The mystery shoppers also logged another 257 visits to the same brands’ websites to evaluate design, navigation and whether they would likely prompt a purchase or recommendation to friends or family.

“In its store, Burberry succeeds at creating a friendly atmosphere, with 85% of mystery shoppers saying they felt comfortable wandering around and browsing the merchandise,” the Luxury Institute reported. “Only Gucci came close to duplicating Burberry’s success in creating a comfortable atmosphere with 67% of shoppers saying they felt at ease inside of Gucci.”

Burberry scored top marks online, too, with 77% of visitors impressed by its visual appeal and 75% citing the superior design and ease of navigation.” Louis Vuitton also ranked high on site design with 75% of visitors favorably impressed. Burberry’s website also excelled for ease of completing purchases at 85%.

Interestingly, in its 2011 Global Brand report, Intrabrand last fall specifically cited Burberry as a top riser among luxury brands. “Burberry bested them all by focusing on its core competencies in fashion, digital innovation and global expansion,” Intrabrands reported.

As to whether they’d make a purchase online in the future, Burberry tied with Gucci as 42% of visitors said they would return to make a purchase. Whereas Chanel.com (22%) and Prada.com (24%) garnered the lowest among those who were willing to recommend the site to others.

Among the mystery shoppers others findings:

•Sales associates’ behavior and demeanor had a major effect on how “polite” a brand was viewed. About 96% said Burberry’s in-store staff was “pleasant” while only 60% said the same of Prada. Burberry and Chanel both received more than 90% on having staffs that were articulate and educated.

•Sales associates were more likely to offer assistance to shoppers at Burberry (75%) while Prada staff offered help only 55% of the time. “When you asked them a question, they quickly responded with little detail and walked away quickly,” observed one mystery shopper about Prada’s associates.

•Overall sales associates at Burberry (92%) and Louis Vuitton (91%) were seen as polite and courteous. Only 69% said the same of Prada’s staff.

•Prada, however, scored the highest on its store design with 91% applauding the aesthetics. Next was Burberry at 82% and Gucci at 75%.

“Ultimately shoppers are just as likely (42%) to make a purchase at Prada as they are to shop at Burberry in the future; 50% plan to return to Chanel. Chanel also earns the highest score (58%) for deserving a recommendation to friends or family.”

For additional information about this study and others, see www.LuxuryBoard.com

http://www.accessoriesmagazine.com/36740/mystery-shoppers-on-luxury-brands-in-store-vs-online

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December 21, 2011

Coach Outperforms Competitors on Key Brand Saliency and Service Metrics

Posted in Customer Service/CRM,Handbags,LBSI,Luxury Brands,Luxury Market,Press Releases
Tags: Coach, Handbags, Milton Pedraza, Wealthy Women —

(NEW YORK) Dec 20, 2011 — As part of its mission to educate and influence the luxury industry to evolve into world-class customer-focused enterprises, the New York-based Luxury Institute recently conducted an intensive analysis of its objective and independent Luxury Brand Status Index (LBSI) surveys and several WealthSurveys with wealthy consumers. With more than five years of data on dozens of luxury goods and services categories, the Luxury Institute sought to identify ‘best practitioners’ that have consistently scored above competitors.

In the handbag category, the analysis revealed that one brand stood alone in owning several critical metrics for brand vibrancy five years in a row: Coach.

Luxury Institute empirical data shows that Coach has achieved what no brand in the luxury handbag category has been able to in a five-year period with affluent women in the US: highest brand familiarity by a wide margin with an average of 73%. In addition, an impressive 25% of the sample of affluent consumers has purchased a Coach handbag in the last 12 months and 25% intend to purchase Coach as their next handbag. For comparison, the next highest rated brand has a purchase rate of 6% and purchase intent rate of 5% in the latest survey.

Coach is also the brand that most wealthy women have been willing to recommend to their friends and family for three out of five years and it has always been ranked within the top three most recommended brands with an overall average of 65%.

The brand is also top-of-mind when shoppers think of superior customer service. In a recent WealthSurvey, Coach was the handbag brand that was cited as having the best customer service on an unaided basis by premium handbag shoppers, outperforming its nearest two rival European competitors three to one. No other luxury handbag came close to achieving these results (see Graph A). Coach, to its global credit, demonstrates similar brand strength in Japan, one of the world’s most sophisticated luxury markets.

Achievements like these are the empirical rewards of a highly disciplined customer culture. Great product is extremely important and Coach is rated among the top quality handbags brands. However, a consumer-centric culture is the critical factor in consistently delivering extraordinary customer experiences.

By design, Coach is a consumer-centric brand built on strong core values. In an increasingly commoditized and highly competitive global luxury handbag market, it is simply not enough to outperform your competition on products; you have to dramatically outbehave them. “Unlike brands that tout their customer culture, yet fail to demonstrate consistent long-term profitability, Coach has repeatedly achieved superior results in Luxury Institute surveys for quality of product and service. In the mind of the U.S. luxury consumer, they are the clear winner in the Handbag and Accessories space,” says Milton Pedraza, CEO of Luxury Institute.

“The customer experience is the new battleground for the 21st century,” says Pedraza. “In a world where design, quality and craftsmanship are often imitated, brands will live or die based on more than just great products and services. With its customer-centric culture, as measured by independent wealthy consumer feedback, Coach is well positioned to thrive in a global marketplace where the human values and integrity of the brand matter most.”

About Luxury Institute (www.LuxuryInstitute.com)
The Luxury Institute is the objective and independent global voice of the high net-worth consumer. The Institute conducts extensive and actionable research with wealthy consumers about their behaviors and attitudes on customer experience best practices. In addition, we work closely with top-tier luxury brands to successfully transform their organizational cultures into more profitable customer-centric enterprises. Our Luxury CRM Culture consulting process leverages our fact-based research and enables luxury brands to dramatically Outbehave as well as Outperform their competition. The Luxury Institute also operates LuxuryBoard.com, a membership-based online research portal, and the Luxury CRM Association, a membership organization dedicated to building customer-centric luxury enterprises.

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November 16, 2011

Jimmy Choo: Mellon departure may force redefinition of footwear brand

Posted in Luxury Brands,Shoes
Tags: Jimmy Choo, Labelux, Milton Pedraza —

By Rachel Lamb
Luxury Daily
November 15, 2011

Following the abrupt departure of Jimmy Choo cofounder and creative officer Tamara Mellon and CEO Joshua Shulman, the footwear giant’s success and brand reputation will rely solely on their successors.

Not only did Ms. Mellon serve as the brains and creative behind the brand, she was also seen as a brand ambassadress and even posed in ads for the recently-launched Jimmy Choo fragrance. Although the reason for the resignations are not concrete, many reports suggest that Ms. Mellon and Mr. Shulman’s leaving likely has to do with Jimmy Choo’s buyout by famed footwear conglomerate Labelux in May.

“The bigger question for Jimmy Choo is not the departure of Tamara Mellon, but how the new owner of the brand Labelux will manage the brand,” said Pam Danziger, president of Unity Marketing, Stephens, PA.

“The company’s stated goal for the brand is to accelerate growth,” she said. “As a luxury brand, that growth needs to be carefully managed.

“In the current economy, we are seeing the dividing line between mass and class blurring,” she said. “It may not be in the best interest of the luxe-leaning Jimmy Choo brand to become too popular among the masses in the interest of stimulating fast growth.”

Named after a Malaysian shoemaker, Jimmy Choo competes with footwear brands such as Manolo Blahnik and Christian Louboutin. The company has changed hands several times in the past decade.

Big shoes to fill
Ms. Mellon has been the creative director and cofounder at Jimmy Choo for 15 years. She is slated to leave at the end of this month.

Jimmy Choo CEO Mr. Schulman has been with the brand for five years. He plans to stay on until early 2012 for a “transitional period,” according to a report from New York Magazine’s The Cut.

Since Ms. Mellon has attached herself so personally to the brand, it may be difficult for consumers to accept a new spokesperson for Jimmy Choo.

“I think that some of the main challenges would be redefining the brand,” said Courtney Albert, consultant on marketing and branding at Parker Avery, Atlanta. “Mellon was the face of the brand and a lot of women bought into not only Jimmy Choo, but her lifestyle and the kind of woman she exemplifies.”

A more pressing matter, however, is bringing the brand back to the luxe label that it once was.

“The brand did very well financially and was successful, but brand equity-wise it is not on the same level as it was early-on,” she said.

Heeling touch
To bring Jimmy Choo back to its original luxe, the executives at Labelux have their hands full.

“I think it’s unfortunate to lose such high-performance executives at a critical transition time because they are the creators of brand culture,” said Milton Pedraza, CEO of the Luxury Institute, New York.

One of the cornerstones of the luxury industry is, of course, customer service.

The brand’s greatest opportunity is creating a customer-centric culture that is measurable, per Mr. Pedraza.

Another kind of marketing may also help Jimmy Choo reinvent itself with a new face and as a new company.

“I think that with the right marketing, it can overcome this bump because for a long time people didn’t know that there even was a Jimmy Choo and didn’t know the real story,” Parker Avery’s Ms. Albert said.

“I don’t necessarily think that her departure will crumble the brand, but they’ll have to take a series of strategic initiatives to build upon what she created,” she said.

http://www.luxurydaily.com/jimmy-choo%E2%80%99s-luxury-label-relies-on-new-management/

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November 10, 2011

PPR’s play for Brioni signals new interest in menswear: Pinault

Posted in Fashion,Luxury Brands,Men's
Tags: Brioni, Gucci, Luxury Menswear, Milton Pedraza, PPR —

By Rachel Lamb
Luxury Daily
November 9, 2011

With its planned acquisition of Italian label Brioni, Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent owner PPR has made clear its interest in a market segment where it sees much potential: luxury menswear.

Founed in 1942, Brioni is known for both season collections and bespoke products targeting men looking to addstyle and pizazz to their wardrobe. Financial details of the planned transaction were not disclosed yesterday.

“Brioni’s acquisition makes a lot of sense for PPR,” said François-Henri Pinault, chairman/CEO of PPR. “The brand is complementary and does not compete with the group’s other brands, as much as in regards with its market positioning than on its stylistic content.

“Growth in the men’s segment is significantly stronger than in women’s, and Brioni is the perfect match for this,” he said.

PPR owns Gucci, Bottega Veneta, Yves Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Boucheron, Girard-Perregaux, JeanRichard, Sergio Rossi and Stella McCartney.

Spoken for
PPR announced the signing of an agreement with Brioni shareholders to acquire all of its capital yesterday morning.

The transaction should be finalized at the beginning of 2012, according to PPR.

Brioni has significant intrinsic growth potential and PPR will enable it to accelerate its expansion and boost its profitability, notably through a wider product range and geographic expansion in strong growth markets, according to the conglomerate.

“PPR is buying one of the most prestigious and exclusive brands in the mens clothing business – Brioni is a gem of a brand,” said Milton Pedraza, CEO of the Luxury Institute, New York. “As PPR has shown with Bottega Veneta and Gucci, it knows how to scale a brand.

“Most of these brands are for men’s and women’s clothing, but Brioni is very distinctive and will give PPR an edge for custom and bespoke men’s clothing,” he said. “They can even expand the brand into accessories because men’s is such a growing business.

“PPR has the power to bring Brioni to a $1 billion company.”

Indeed, many experts believe that Brioni will certainly flourish under the control of PPR.

The addition of Brioni is a quick expansion of PPR’s product line and adds a new customer base for other PPR brands, according to Ron Kurtz, president of the American Affluence Research Center, Atlanta.

Brioni can benefit from having access to the capital resources of PPR and PPR’s relationships with the channels of distribution, he said.

Luxury brands that are part of conglomerates are provided with extra protection, especially in light of economic uncertainty.

PPR has taken brands such as Bottega Veneta and Gucci under its wings, turning them into extremely lucrative and successful labels.

“I think that Bottega Veneta is one of the most successful luxury brands in the last 10 years,” Luxury Institute’s Mr. Pedraza said. “The marketing and the customer experience expertise of PPR will be a tremendous asset to building Brioni.”

Acquiring gems
The luxury industry has witnessed several mergers and acquisitions in the past year.

Some experts believe that the reemergence of M&A is indicative of a recovery economy.

Following the recent acquisition of sportswear manufacturer Volcom, PPR announced in July its 50.1-percent stake majority control of Swiss watchmaker Sowind Group, parent company of Girard-Perregaux and JeanRichard.

This is just the most recent in a whirlwind of mergers and acquisitions in the luxury industry.

For example, footwear manufacturer Jones Group acquired Kurt Geiger in June, which followed the sale of Jimmy Choo to Labelux in May.

Additionally, Richemont, the conglomerate that owns luxury brands such as Jaeger-LeCoultre, Cartier and Montblanc, recently acquired online retailer Net-A-Porter this summer.

Furthermore, the ever-hungry LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton set its sights on, and soon acquired, Italian jeweler Bulgari in the first quarter of this year.

This begs the question: Is there any hope for independently-owned luxury brands in the future, or will they all eventually be owned by conglomerates?

“I think that luxury brands can achieve a certain level on their own – look at Coach,” Luxury Institute’s Mr. Pedraza said. “Gaining capital is the easiest thing to do right now, but having great financial management is a skill that these companies [such as PPR] have.

“There is no question that luxury brands can remain independent, but a brand in a conglomerate that has this certain level of expertise will grow tremendously,” he said. “The portfolio management approach works well for both the conglomerates that acquire brands and the brands that are acquired.”

http://www.luxurydaily.com/ppr-has-the-power-to-bring-brioni-to-a-1b-company-expert/

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November 3, 2011

David Yurman goes mcommerce after Web traffic jumps 200pc

Posted in E-Commerce,Jewelry,Mobile,Mobile Commerce,Retail
Tags: Createthe Group, David Yurman, Mobile Commerce —

By Kayla Hutzler
Luxury Daily
November 2, 2011

Jewelry designer David Yurman decided it was time to create a mobile commerce-enabled site after the New York-based Luxury Institute revealed that more than 20 percent of consumers with at least $5 million in net-worth were shopping through mobile devices.

The new site, powered by the Createthe Group CTS platform, allows consumers to browse, search and buy products as well as find nearby stores. David Yurman is confident that the mobile commerce site will deepen engagement with consumers since the brand has already seen a 200 percent increase in Web site traffic from its previous mobile efforts.

“By providing the mobile site, David Yurman can offer an ideal enhanced and optimized shopping experience for consumers by letting them shop from wherever they please,” said Allen Kung, cofounder and chief technology officer of Createthe Group, New York.

“Affluent consumers are increasingly using the mobile channel to find products and discover product information and good deals, as well as purchase products,” he said. “Therefore, luxury and premium brands are investing more heavily in mobile commerce experiences to keep them engaged.”

Register rings

While David Yurman did have a mobile-optimized site for the past five years, which was also powered by the Createthe Group platform, this marks the first time that consumers will be able to purchase products through their mobile phones.

Indeed, the brand saw the need to create a mobile site based on third-party research from the Luxury Institute and PayPal, along with its personal experience – overall Web site traffic jumped after implementing mobile channels.

The new site is easily navigated and can be found at http://m.davidyurman.com.

The homepage features a vertical bar with tabs for shop, style, stores and search.

Tapping on the style tab bring consumers two options – “celebrity and events” or “shop the campaign.”

Within these sections, consumers can shop the products they discover by tapping on a “view products” box in the image.

Back on the homepage, there is also an campaign picture, followed by a vertical navigation bar that lists seven options: women, men, timepieces, gifts, collections, eyewear and fragrance.

Within each of the vertical bar tabs are a number of subcategories such as new arrivals, best sellers, rings and bracelets.

Check it out
When a consumer is done browsing and has added her desired products to the shopping bag, the checkout process is smooth and hassle-free.

Consumers have a few options after they wish to check-out. They can sign-in to their accounts, register for an account or simply check-out.

Not requiring consumers to create a username is a smart move since many consumers are likely in a rush when they are shopping on their mobile phones.

The mobile site also features a location-based store locator for consumers who prefer to buy products in-store.

David Yurman wanted to launch the new mobile site just in time for the holiday season since many of its best consumers are busy executives with little time to shop, according to Carol Pennelli, the brand’s president.

The shift to a mobile commerce experience was relatively easy since the jeweler was already using the CTS platform, according to Createthe Group’s Mr. Kung.

“The David Yurman mobile commerce experience is not just another cookie-cutter mobile site experience,” Mr. Kung said. “The beauty and elegance of the David Yurman brand was not lost in the execution and creative interface design.

“[Consumers] will [now] enjoy the greater speed, ease and convenience of shopping on-the-go from anywhere they please at any time of the day,” he said. “It will make holiday shopping faster and easier for time-pressed shoppers as well as discriminating affluent consumers searching for the most unique and perfect gifts.”

http://www.luxurydaily.com/david-yurman-does-its-homework-launches-mcommerce-site/

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November 2, 2011

Wealthy European Consumers Rank Luxury Hotel, Handbag and Fashion Brands; Loro Piana Loved By Women And Men, Hermès Earns Highest Handbag Score

Posted in Europe,Fashion,Handbags,Hotel/Resort,LBSI,Press Releases
Tags: France, Germany, Handbags, Hotels, Italy, LBSI, Men's Fashion, Milton Pedraza, U.K., Wealthy Consumers, Women's Fashion —

(NEW YORK) November 2, 2011 – A new series of Luxury Brand Status Index (LBSI) surveys from the independent and objective New York City-based Luxury Institute reveals firsthand impressions and rankings of dozens of luxury brands by high net-worth consumers from the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy.

Wealthy European shoppers evaluated each brand on quality, exclusivity, social status and overall ownership experience to tabulate an overall LBSI score. Also considered were price worthiness, willingness to recommend the brand and likelihood of purchase.

Based on overall LBSI scores, the top three luxury brands in each category rank as follows:

Hotels (26 brands): Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces; Mandarin Oriental; Ritz-Carlton

Handbags (39 brands): Hermès; Tod’s; Chanel

Women’s Fashion (44 brands): Loro Piana; Brunello Cucinelli; Hermès

Men’s Fashion (35 brands): Loro Piana; Michael Kors; Brioni

Several country-specific preferences are apparent. In Women’s Fashion, Italians rank Valentino highest, Germans prefer Louis Vuitton, and Alexander McQueen earns top ranking in the U.K. In hotels, Ritz-Carlton ranks first in France and second in the U.K. behind Mandarin Oriental.

“There is certainly a diversity of taste and preference among wealthy consumers in Europe,” says Milton Pedraza, CEO of the Luxury Institute. “Several brands have succeeded in transcending national boundaries and enjoy wide appeal among the continent’s wealthy.”

Respondents come from households with minimum annual income of €50,000, or £60,000 in the U.K. For greater details on brand rankings in each category and other purchase considerations of wealthy European consumers, visit LuxuryInstitute.com.

For Further Information, Please Contact:

The Luxury Institute, LLC
Martin Swanson
Vice President
(914) 909-6350
mswanson@luxuryinstitute.com

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September 21, 2011

Most Wealthy U.S. Shoppers Plan to Keep on Spending on Luxury Travel and Technology Are the Biggest Beneficiaries, but Jewelry and Antiques Look Vulnerable to Cutbacks

Posted in Antiques,Jewelry,Luxury Market,Press Releases,Retail,Travel & Leisure,WealthSurvey
Tags: Apple, Economy, Luxury Market, Milton Pedraza, Technology, Travel, WealthSurvey, Wealthy Consumers —

(NEW YORK) September 21, 2011 – The new “State of the Luxury Industry According to U.S. Consumers 2009-2011” survey from the independent and objective New York City-based Luxury Institute reveals that two-thirds of U.S. households earning at least $150,000 per year do not plan to trim spending on luxury purchases in coming months, a three year-high for optimism.

Although 32% of wealthy consumers report spending less on luxury recently due to the economy, that’s down from 37% in August 2010 and 42% in August 2009 who reported cutting back. Furthermore, 10% report boosting luxury spending in recent months, up from 7% who said the same last year. Many (39%) still report buying what they need instead of what they want, down from 55% who were similarly cautious two years ago.

Good news for hotels and Apple: the top two luxury categories on which the wealthy indicate plans to spend more are travel (18%) and technology (16%). Other notable turnarounds include automobiles, where 11% of the wealthy plan to spend more, up from 8% in 2010.

Jewelry (39%), antiques (37%), custom apparel (34%), art (34%), handbags (33%) and watches (33%) top the list of likely areas for the wealthy to cut.

“Despite all of the turmoil in the economy and markets, wealthy shoppers show remarkable resilience,” says Luxury Institute CEO Milton Pedraza. “Rewards accrue to retailers who focus on providing exclusive objects and experiences with impeccable service.”

For more details and full survey results, visit LuxuryInstitute.com.

About Luxury Institute (www.LuxuryInstitute.com)

The Luxury Institute is the objective and independent global voice of the high net-worth consumer. The Institute conducts extensive and actionable research with wealthy consumers about their behaviors and attitudes on customer experience best practices. In addition, we work closely with top-tier luxury brands to successfully transform their organizational cultures into more profitable customer-centric enterprises. Our Luxury CRM Culture consulting process leverages our fact-based research and enables luxury brands to dramatically Outbehave as well as Outperform their competition. The Luxury Institute also operates LuxuryBoard.com, a membership-based online research portal, and the Luxury CRM Association, a membership organization dedicated to building customer-centric luxury enterprises.

For Further Information, Please Contact:

The Luxury Institute, LLC
Martin Swanson
Vice President
(914) 909-6350
mswanson@luxuryinstitute.com

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