Marketing Research :: Study Shows that French Luxury Buyers Rely Heavily on Internet for Information

A recent study done by the Benchmark Group shows that a large number of French consumers shopping for luxury goods turn to the Internet for information, long before they make their purchase.  In fact, 55% of women, and 47% of men say they "often" or "always" go online to gather information first.

So, what are they looking for?  Well, of the women, 70% are looking for product details and 68% seek pricing information.  The other half of the women are looking for sales point addresses and memeber spaces. 

This is interesting to me because many times, designers put a lot of emphasis on creating their space on the Internet, but fall short on product information and pricing when it comes to their online presence.  They aim to sell the product on its look and feel alone, and seem to assume that if the buyer is seeking it out, they are likely to purchase, regardless of the price. 

However, based on this study, luxury brands should re-think this strategy; in many countries, the economy is not as strong as it once was and you are not as likely to score that "impulse purchaser" that you may have lured to the store just a few years ago.

Shoppers are savvy and rational now; they like to browse the 'net and dream big, but they also want hard product facts because they are realistic about what they can and cannot afford to purchase.

The study by Benchmark Group also took a look at the newsletters that luxury brands put out to their shoppers. 86% of the recipients indicated that they were more interested in receiving promotional discounts through their newsletters and 58% want information about new products.  However, only 34% were interested in hearing about the brand itself.

For the most part, French women are purchasing luxury items such as clothing, shoes, and cosmetics online.  This is something that luxury retailers need to be very aware of.  Your website needs to be informative so your consumer is able to get the information they are seeking. 

If you don't provide what they are looking for, they may become frustrated and go elsewhere.  Marketshare is not as abundant as it once was and many luxury retailers are fighting for the same customer base; give you clients what they want, the first time they look.