The “luxury feeling” case:
best practice in online purchasing experience
Alexandra Bertasio, Junior Data Analyst, Contactlab
Micaela Raimondi, Marketing & Communication Director, Contactlab

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© Copyright 2016 Contactlab
This document may not be modified, organized or reutilized in any way without the express written permission of the rightful owner.
The Online Purchase Experience Ranking: from Milan to New York City
A privileged observatory on Luxury market
Our data-driven methodology led us to have a
privileged observatory on brands digital
strategies benchmarking brands position within
their sector.
The Luxury Goods reports - in partnership
with Exane BNP Paribas - allow us to
understand market trends and customers needs
in the Fashion & Luxury industry.
• Digital frontier
• Digital Competitive map
• Email Competitive map
• Online Offer Dive
• Pricing Landscape
• Online Purchase Experience
• Luxury in… Find out more:
http://contactlab.com/en/more/reports/

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© Copyright 2016 Contactlab
This document may not be modified, organized or reutilized in any way without the express written permission of the rightful owner.
The Online Purchase Experience Ranking: from Milan to New York City
Agenda
Why the E-commerce experience matters in Fashion & Luxury
What we did
What came out
How to build a good purchasing experience?

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© Copyright 2016 Contactlab
This document may not be modified, organized or reutilized in any way without the express written permission of the rightful owner.
Why the E-commerce experience matters in Fashion & Luxury
The online shopping affects already more than 12% of total sales…
E-commerce only and Cross-Channel Clients
(% retail revenues, worldwide)
Source Contactlab Analysis
ca. 12%
ca. 23%
Customers with
E-commerce only purchases
Customers with
Cross-Channel purchases
…projected to reach 20-25% by 2020

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© Copyright 2016 Contactlab
This document may not be modified, organized or reutilized in any way without the express written permission of the rightful owner.
36 complete Purchase Experiences on US Websites…
What we did
31 Monobrands + 5 Multibrand Luxury Retailers

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© Copyright 2016 Contactlab
This document may not be modified, organized or reutilized in any way without the express written permission of the rightful owner.
ABANDONED CART
CUSTOMER SERVICE ASSISTANCE
PURCHASE PROCESS
PACKAGING
RETURN PROCESS
…from Account Registration to Product Return, going through 122 touch points…
Source: Contactlab Analysis
The Online
Purchase
Experience
“Una tantum”
Steps
What we did
ACCOUNT REGISTRATION PROCESS
WELCOME EMAIL
39 Parameters related to Physical Touch Points
41 Parameters related to Digital Touch Points
42 Parameters related to Digital Touch Points

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© Copyright 2016 Contactlab
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What we did
…looking for…
LUXURY FEELING
ATTENTION TO DETAILS / EXTRA TOUCHES
RESPONSIVENESS
PERSONALIZATION AND RIGHT TONE OF VOICE
CROSS-CHANNEL ONLINE/OFFLINE SYNERGIES
….AND ABOVE ALL CONSISTENCY

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© Copyright 2016 Contactlab
This document may not be modified, organized or reutilized in any way without the express written permission of the rightful owner.
What came out
ABANDONED CART
CUSTOMER SERVICE ASSISTANCE
PURCHASE PROCESS
PACKAGING
RETURN PROCESS
ACCOUNT REGISTRATION PROCESS
WELCOME EMAIL
1. Account Registration Process

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© Copyright 2016 Contactlab
This document may not be modified, organized or reutilized in any way without the express written permission of the rightful owner.
1. Account Registration Process: Key findings
What came out

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© Copyright 2016 Contactlab
This document may not be modified, organized or reutilized in any way without the express written permission of the rightful owner.
1. Account Registration Process: Key findings
What came out
Cross Channel
engagement
Only 3 brands asked for Preferred Boutique

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© Copyright 2016 Contactlab
This document may not be modified, organized or reutilized in any way without the express written permission of the rightful owner.
1. Account Registration Process: best practice example
What came out
Store of preference

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© Copyright 2016 Contactlab
This document may not be modified, organized or reutilized in any way without the express written permission of the rightful owner.
1. Account Registration Process: Key findings
What came out
Cross Channel
engagement
Data collection
Only 3 brands asked for Preferred Boutique
Still few brands asked for user’s contact preferences

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© Copyright 2016 Contactlab
This document may not be modified, organized or reutilized in any way without the express written permission of the rightful owner.
1. Account Registration Process: best practice example
What came out
Manage my email settings

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© Copyright 2016 Contactlab
This document may not be modified, organized or reutilized in any way without the express written permission of the rightful owner.
1. Account Registration Process: best practice example
What came out
“How would you like to be addressed?”

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© Copyright 2016 Contactlab
This document may not be modified, organized or reutilized in any way without the express written permission of the rightful owner.
What came out
ABANDONED CART
CUSTOMER SERVICE ASSISTANCE
PURCHASE PROCESS
PACKAGING
RETURN PROCESS
ACCOUNT REGISTRATION PROCESS
WELCOME EMAIL
2. Welcome email

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© Copyright 2016 Contactlab
This document may not be modified, organized or reutilized in any way without the express written permission of the rightful owner.
2. Welcome email: Key findings
What came out

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© Copyright 2016 Contactlab
This document may not be modified, organized or reutilized in any way without the express written permission of the rightful owner.
2. Welcome email: Key findings
What came out
Opportunity to
introduce the brand’s
world
Not all the brands sent Welcome email

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© Copyright 2016 Contactlab
This document may not be modified, organized or reutilized in any way without the express written permission of the rightful owner.
2. Welcome email: Key findings
What came out
Opportunity to
introduce the brand’s
world
Not all the brands sent Welcome email
Only 7 Brands sent Welcome Email Series

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© Copyright 2016 Contactlab
This document may not be modified, organized or reutilized in any way without the express written permission of the rightful owner.
2. Welcome email: best practice example
What came out
Welcome to NET-A-PORTER How to stay stylishly in the know More from NET-A-PORTER How can we help you
Welcome email series

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© Copyright 2016 Contactlab
This document may not be modified, organized or reutilized in any way without the express written permission of the rightful owner.
2. Welcome email: Key findings
What came out
Opportunity to
introduce the brand’s
world
Not all the brands sent Welcome email
Only 7 Brands sent Welcome Email Series
Only 8 brands promoted their Value-Added Services

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© Copyright 2016 Contactlab
This document may not be modified, organized or reutilized in any way without the express written permission of the rightful owner.
2. Welcome email: best practice example
What came out
Welcome email
Website
Style Advisor Service

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© Copyright 2016 Contactlab
This document may not be modified, organized or reutilized in any way without the express written permission of the rightful owner.
2. Welcome email: Key findings
What came out
Opportunity to
introduce the brand’s
world
Not all the brands sent Welcome email
Only 7 Brands sent Welcome Email Series
Only 8 brands promoted their Value-Added Services
12 Monobrands included a link to Store Finder

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© Copyright 2016 Contactlab
This document may not be modified, organized or reutilized in any way without the express written permission of the rightful owner.
2. Welcome email: best practice example
What came out
Store Locator
Welcome email Website

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© Copyright 2016 Contactlab
This document may not be modified, organized or reutilized in any way without the express written permission of the rightful owner.
2. Welcome email: Key findings
What came out
Opportunity to
introduce the brand’s
world
Not all the brands sent Welcome email
Only 7 Brands sent Welcome Email Series
Only 8 brands promoted their Value-Added Services
12 Monobrands included a link to Store Finder
Some brands didn’t give any visibility to Social Media

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© Copyright 2016 Contactlab
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2. Welcome email: best practice example
What came out
Dedicated email for Social Media Dedicated box for Social Media

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© Copyright 2016 Contactlab
This document may not be modified, organized or reutilized in any way without the express written permission of the rightful owner.
What came out
ABANDONED CART
CUSTOMER SERVICE ASSISTANCE
PURCHASE PROCESS
PACKAGING
RETURN PROCESS
ACCOUNT REGISTRATION PROCESS
WELCOME EMAIL
3. Abandoned Cart

27
© Copyright 2016 Contactlab
This document may not be modified, organized or reutilized in any way without the express written permission of the rightful owner.
3. Abandoned Cart: Key findings
What came out

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© Copyright 2016 Contactlab
This document may not be modified, organized or reutilized in any way without the express written permission of the rightful owner.
3. Abandoned Cart: best practice example
What came out
Customer Service Focus

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© Copyright 2016 Contactlab
This document may not be modified, organized or reutilized in any way without the express written permission of the rightful owner.
3. Abandoned Cart: worst practice example
What came out
Too pushy approach
Don't forget about your shopping bag...it's full! Don't forget about your shopping bag Reminder: Your Saks Bag is Full Last chance...your Saks bag is full.

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© Copyright 2016 Contactlab
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3. Abandoned Cart: Key findings
What came out
Offer Customer Assistance
Just 1/3 of Monobrands sent a specific email for
Abandoned Cart
Many brands missed the opportunity to link email to
Store Locator

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© Copyright 2016 Contactlab
This document may not be modified, organized or reutilized in any way without the express written permission of the rightful owner.
What came out
ABANDONED CART
CUSTOMER SERVICE ASSISTANCE
PURCHASE PROCESS
PACKAGING
RETURN PROCESS
ACCOUNT REGISTRATION PROCESS
WELCOME EMAIL
4. Customer Service Assistance

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© Copyright 2016 Contactlab
This document may not be modified, organized or reutilized in any way without the express written permission of the rightful owner.
4. Customer Service Assistance: Key findings
What came out

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© Copyright 2016 Contactlab
This document may not be modified, organized or reutilized in any way without the express written permission of the rightful owner.
4. Customer Service Assistance: Key findings
What came out
Are brands taking
enough care?
Surprisingly some important luxury brands did not
reply to inquiries

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© Copyright 2016 Contactlab
This document may not be modified, organized or reutilized in any way without the express written permission of the rightful owner.
4. Customer Service Assistance: worst practice example
What came out
No reply to inquiries
Confirmation email
No reply to inquiry

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© Copyright 2016 Contactlab
This document may not be modified, organized or reutilized in any way without the express written permission of the rightful owner.
4. Customer Service Assistance: best practice example
What came out
Good argumentation and right tone of voice
"I am pleased to confirm we do offer complimentary next day pick up in store for
online purchases. This service is free, and in order to receive the item the day after
you would have to place the order before 5:00pm Eastern Time"
“Please note the store would not be able to directly refund an online purchase,
but they would facilitate the return by shipping the order back to our warehouse.
We would then refund your card as soon as we receive the item back at the
warehouse.”
"I am also pleased to confirm we can definitely ship an online order to the Hotel,
but we are not able to do that for in-store purchases, as stores are not able to
ship. Should you need to deliver an in-store purchase to your Hotel we would have
to partner with the managers in the store”

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© Copyright 2016 Contactlab
This document may not be modified, organized or reutilized in any way without the express written permission of the rightful owner.
4. Customer Service Assistance: Key findings
What came out
Are brands taking
enough care?
Collect user’s feedback
Surprisingly some important luxury brands did not
reply to inquiries
Only one brand sent a Satisfaction Survey via
email after Customer Assistance

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© Copyright 2016 Contactlab
This document may not be modified, organized or reutilized in any way without the express written permission of the rightful owner.
4. Customer Service Assistance: best practice example
What came out
Satisfaction Survey after Customer Assistance

38
© Copyright 2016 Contactlab
This document may not be modified, organized or reutilized in any way without the express written permission of the rightful owner.
What came out
ABANDONED CART
CUSTOMER SERVICE ASSISTANCE
PURCHASE PROCESS
PACKAGING
RETURN PROCESS
ACCOUNT REGISTRATION PROCESS
WELCOME EMAIL
5. Purchase Process: Key findings

39
© Copyright 2016 Contactlab
This document may not be modified, organized or reutilized in any way without the express written permission of the rightful owner.
5. Purchase Process: Key findings
What came out

40
© Copyright 2016 Contactlab
This document may not be modified, organized or reutilized in any way without the express written permission of the rightful owner.
5. Purchase Process: Key findings
What came out
Easy purchase process
for users
Only 3 brands offered Chinese Union Pay Credit Card
option
Few brands offered Delivery to Store, Saturday/Sunday
delivery

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© Copyright 2016 Contactlab
This document may not be modified, organized or reutilized in any way without the express written permission of the rightful owner.
5. Purchase Process: best practice example
What came out
Delivery to Store

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© Copyright 2016 Contactlab
This document may not be modified, organized or reutilized in any way without the express written permission of the rightful owner.
5. Purchase Process: Key findings
What came out
Easy purchase process
for users
Attention to Security Issues
Only 3 brands offered Chinese Union Pay Credit Card
option
Few brands offered Delivery to Store, Saturday/Sunday
delivery
Only 3 brands asked for Signature at delivery
Only 2 brands sent a Product Delivery Confirmation email

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© Copyright 2016 Contactlab
This document may not be modified, organized or reutilized in any way without the express written permission of the rightful owner.
5. Purchase Process: best practice example
What came out
Package Delivery Confirmation email

44
© Copyright 2016 Contactlab
This document may not be modified, organized or reutilized in any way without the express written permission of the rightful owner.
5. Purchase Process: Key findings
What came out
Easy purchase process
for users
Attention to Security Issues
Only 3 brands offered Chinese Union Pay Credit Card
option
Few brands offered Delivery to Store, Saturday/Sunday
delivery
Only 3 brands asked for Signature at delivery
Only 2 brands sent a Product Delivery Confirmation email
Show gratitude Only 1 sent a dedicated Thank-you Email

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© Copyright 2016 Contactlab
This document may not be modified, organized or reutilized in any way without the express written permission of the rightful owner.
5. Purchase Process: best practice example
What came out
Thank you email

46
© Copyright 2016 Contactlab
This document may not be modified, organized or reutilized in any way without the express written permission of the rightful owner.
What came out
ABANDONED CART
CUSTOMER SERVICE ASSISTANCE
PURCHASE PROCESS
PACKAGING
RETURN PROCESS
ACCOUNT REGISTRATION PROCESS
WELCOME EMAIL
6. Packaging

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© Copyright 2016 Contactlab
This document may not be modified, organized or reutilized in any way without the express written permission of the rightful owner.
6. Packaging: Key findings
What came out

48
© Copyright 2016 Contactlab
This document may not be modified, organized or reutilized in any way without the express written permission of the rightful owner.
6. Packaging: Key findings
What came out
Quality and accuracy
Some brands offered a real “Wow effect” at box
opening, others made a “Not so Luxury” first impact

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© Copyright 2016 Contactlab
This document may not be modified, organized or reutilized in any way without the express written permission of the rightful owner.
6. Packaging: best practice example
What came out
“Wow Effect” at External Box opening can be impressive…

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© Copyright 2016 Contactlab
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6. Packaging: worst practice example
What came out
…but also quite desolate!

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© Copyright 2016 Contactlab
This document may not be modified, organized or reutilized in any way without the express written permission of the rightful owner.
6. Packaging: Key findings
What came out
Quality and accuracy
Some brands offered a real “Wow effect” at box
opening, others made a “Not so Luxury” first impact
Some brands stood out for Product Box accuracy,
others adopted cheaper solutions

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© Copyright 2016 Contactlab
This document may not be modified, organized or reutilized in any way without the express written permission of the rightful owner.
6. Packaging: best practice example
What came out
The quality and accuracy of product wrapping can be luxurious…

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© Copyright 2016 Contactlab
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6. Packaging: worst practice example
What came out
…but also quite disappointing!

54
© Copyright 2016 Contactlab
This document may not be modified, organized or reutilized in any way without the express written permission of the rightful owner.
6. Packaging: Key findings
What came out
Quality and accuracy
Some brands offered a real “Wow effect” at box
opening, others made a “Not so Luxury” first impact
Some brands stood out for Product Box accuracy,
others adopted cheaper solutions
Only 12 brands included a dedicated Thanks card

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© Copyright 2016 Contactlab
This document may not be modified, organized or reutilized in any way without the express written permission of the rightful owner.
6. Packaging: best practice example
What came out
Thanks card in evidence at external box opening

56
© Copyright 2016 Contactlab
This document may not be modified, organized or reutilized in any way without the express written permission of the rightful owner.
What came out
ABANDONED CART
CUSTOMER SERVICE ASSISTANCE
PURCHASE PROCESS
PACKAGING
RETURN PROCESS
ACCOUNT REGISTRATION PROCESS
WELCOME EMAIL
7. Return Process

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© Copyright 2016 Contactlab
This document may not be modified, organized or reutilized in any way without the express written permission of the rightful owner.
7. Return Procedure: Key findings
What came out

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© Copyright 2016 Contactlab
This document may not be modified, organized or reutilized in any way without the express written permission of the rightful owner.
7. Return Procedure: best practice example
What came out
Unlimited time for Return and Exchange

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© Copyright 2016 Contactlab
This document may not be modified, organized or reutilized in any way without the express written permission of the rightful owner.
7. Return Procedure: Key findings
What came out
Does it mean brands
really care?
Ca. 1/3 of brands applied a charge to return goods
Only half panel offered Return and Exchange In-Store
2/3 of panel brands required customers to go to the Post
Office to return goods

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© Copyright 2016 Contactlab
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7. Return Procedure: best practice example
What came out
Cartier visual aid remaining the most appealing and useful support

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© Copyright 2016 Contactlab
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How to build a good purchasing experience?
How to build a good purchasing experience?
ABANDONED CART
CUSTOMER SERVICE ASSISTANCE
PURCHASE PROCESS
PACKAGING
RETURN PROCESS
ACCOUNT REGISTRATION PROCESS
WELCOME EMAIL
…AND SO WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED?

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© Copyright 2016 Contactlab
This document may not be modified, organized or reutilized in any way without the express written permission of the rightful owner.
Keep the Luxury Feeling!
How to build a good purchasing experience?
Pay attention to details and try to add a luxury touch in all the steps
 Clients look for experiences and expect the best
Create Cross-Channel synergies
 Forget borders between online and offline
Collect information and data to know your clients better
 Make engagement more personal

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This document may not be modified, organized or reutilized in any way without the express written permission of the rightful owner.
The Online Purchase Experience Matrix – SS16 NYC
Source Contactlab Analysis
How to build a good purchasing experience?
Versione di
eva

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© Copyright 2016 Contactlab
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Keep following us!
How to build a good purchasing experience?
New Reports work in progress (planned for 2017)
Luxury in…Russia
Luxury in…China
New editions of Digital competitive Map
Email competitive map
Online offer dive & Pricing Landscape
Digital frontier
Online Purchase Experience in…
Stay tuned!
http://contactlab.com/en/more/reports/

Thanks!
Alexandra Bertasio
Data Analyst
alexandra.bertasio@contactlab.com
Micaela Raimondi
Marketing & Communication Director
micaela.raimondi@contactlab.com