How the Development Online of Multi-Sensory Strategies Will Enable Luxury Fashion Brands to Create Superior Customer Value Thus Complementing the in Store Experience Provided?

Abstract

The structure of luxury retail industry has disruptively changed with the booming of the technological era. Accordingly, clients have updated their traditional purchasing habits, starting to consult and buy both online and offline and expecting to receive uniformed brand experiences and customer services from both channels. Meaning so, luxury brands have been required to adjust their marketing strategies reproducing and aligning the sensorial experiences delivered in-store with their digital platforms. Observing that luxury brands have not put enough efforts on implementing sensory strategies online and acknowledging the relevance of the sensorial experiences delivered to luxury customers offline, this study intends to examine whether the implementation of multi-sensory techniques online would improve the overall customer experience. In order to gather the information needed for solving the marketing problem identified and due to the pertinence for the delivery of a superior customer experience, three main scientific propositions have been developed. The method of this study will be a mix of exploratory and explanatory qualitative design, while for the analysis of the results obtained, researchers will follow an abductive reasoning. Researchers will conduct expert surveys and in depth interviews with a sample of 20 participants. Major findings confirm that aligning sensorial experiences online and offline results into better customer experience, and that providing a richer sensory experience online is translated into superior customer value in terms of brand image and brand engagement. Considering that loyalty and increase in sales appeared to be not affected by the enhancement of online experiences, future researches are therefore recommended. A list of practical recommendations on how to implement multi-sensory strategies online will be provided at the end of the paper.