Designer beauty brands could be losing customers thanks to a second-rate online service, according to research from ContactLab.
ContactLab created a ranking system to track which brands are using best practice throughout the online consumer experience. The company used 67 parameters to analyse the process, including ordering, delivery, packaging and returns. It tested the sales process for 29 luxury brands including Gucci, Prada, Burberry, Hermes, Cartier and Armani.
While some brands extended their luxury feel to include the delivery service and standard of packaging, others failed to add any luxurious elements to this process. A number of brands sent ‘Thank you’ cards after purchase whilst others sent artistic purchase and return documents within a luxurious envelope or card.
The Online Purchase Experience Ranking discovered that consumers experience the best of online shopping just 50% of the time. Consumers shopping with e-tailers rather than mono-brands tended to have a better experience, with Net-a-Porter being amongst the retailers scoring higher than average.
Massimo Fubini, CEO of ContactLab, explained: “Our research and subsequent analysis found that many brands are missing the little touches which make all the difference, such as covering the product in standard parcel paper, rather than delivering it in a more luxurious manner.”
Fubini added: “This study shows that companies need to focus on each step of the online purchasing process. Maintaining best practice with digital direct marketing and engaging personally with individuals in a seamless manner helps the consumer feel engaged throughout the whole process, creating the feeling that they are receiving both a luxury product, and a high-class service.”