Top 10 Luxury Sites Don’t Work On iPad
PSFK published an article today which covers their research in to the Top 10 luxury sites compatibility with iPad. Not a great result – only Gucci passed. Why? Well obviously due to their dependence on Flash, a technology that Steve Jobs has outlawed in both the iPad and iPhone. While this decision is controversial it can’t be ignored by the luxury sector. The iPad is just about to launch in major luxury markets markets like Japan, where iPhone penetration is 46%. The lag time in not embracing the technology could cost dearly. Let’s hope this isn’t a reflection of past trends the luxury industry has been slow to embrace.
Italian luxury brands use the web to boost holiday sales
An interesting article in this week’s Bloomberg discusses the huge shift towards e-commerce by Italian luxury brands who have until now resisted the temptation to sell online.
In recent weeks online stores have been opened by Valentino, Armani, Roberto Cavalli and Ferragamo. All four have opted for a strategic partnership with an existing e-commerce provider. Valentino and Cavalli have opted for a relationship with Yoox, whilst Armani and Ferragamo have gone with Neiman Marcus. Whilst the operational benefits of partnering existing operators undoubtedly make the transition to selling online more manageable, a clear downside is a lack of differentiation between the various offerings.
Gucci set the benchmark for a luxury brand’s e-commerce site a couple of years ago, with a beautifully designed, Flash-free website. Since then we’ve seen a dearth of innovation in the field and sadly these recently examples do little more to impress.
leave a comment