Upload
others
View
1
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Think Tank: Unmasking the NextGeneration of Luxury ConsumerMalinda Sanna, founder and chief executive officer of Spark Ideas,shares insights about Millennials who shop for highend products.
BUSINESS / BUSINESS FEATURES
By Malinda Sanna on August 28, 2017
We hear over and over that Millennials see luxury as “more than
a price tag,” and that they “value experience over things.” While
it may be true that Millennials are killing everything from bar
soap to golf, our many conversations with this segment tell us it
is exactly their love of experiences and “the story” that
translates to a positive future for luxury. According to projec-
Millennials consumers have displayed different consumer behavior traits then otherdemographic cohorts.Shutterstock / Dmytro Zinkevych
ESSENTIALISTTODAY'S MUST READ
tions by Bain and Company, Millennials and Gen Z will account
for 45 percent of personal luxury goods purchases by 2025.
While many Millennials seem to place a high value on
Instagramming themselves from exotic locations (or, let’s be
real, at a particularly well-lit brunch), they still love their classic
Chanel bags. They just might not be buying them for themselves
(thanks, Mom, Dad) or maybe they’ve discovered Tradesy. In
other words, their consumption of luxury may be showing up in
nontraditional ways.
What is clear is that today’s young people want brands with
integrity, craftsmanship, strong reputations and specific,
creative points of view. For most Millennials, goods aren’t
Dior LaunchesDigital ‘LoveChain’ Initiative
LATEST GALLERIES
replaced by experiences — they both feed into a person’s overall
identity.
The most sophisticated Millennial consumers today mindfully
self-curate. As Lauren, a 33-year-old venture capitalist at
E.ventures in San Francisco puts it, “I was trained by my
Grammy to be a shopping ninja; early boot camp included
canvassing fashion glossies, trips to Theodore, Fred Segal and
Maxfield (rule – touch everything!) and full support to take risk
when defining my personal style, utilizing sales people at
various retail locations to uncover treasures.”
These shoppers aren’t looking for broadly accepted status
symbols to fit into the crowd, they’re looking for a way to
express their individuality. They don’t want to mirror a luxury
brand’s values — they want the brand to reflect their values.
This is illustrated in the failure of brands occupying what I call
the “mushy middle,” brands who have been selling a uniform
lifestyle for years, instead of a dynamic creative statement. As
the culture and the way people express their place in that
culture are evolving, they are staying safe and getting lost as a
result.
They Are Wearing: Lady GagaConcert at Wrigley Field
With change comes risk — a tricky proposition in the luxury
world as it exists today where many of the leading brands now
have to answer to shareholders instead of enjoying the creative
autonomy they once enjoyed. Some luxury brands — Gucci
comes to mind — have managed to navigate this by trusting in
their own heritage and talent, balancing independent moves
that drive the culture (instead of just following trends) while
maintaining a strong and storied brand identity, as we’ve seen
from designer Alessandro Michele’s joyful interpretations.
They Are Wearing: Oslo Runway
Fashion Week SS18
FREE ALERTS & NEWSLETTERS
SIGN UP
PRIVACY POLICY
Alessandro Michele Courtesy Photo
Yet in today’s lightning-fast business environment, success can’t
begin and end with product design alone. Everything has to be
creative and dynamic. Distribution channels. Merchandising.
Brand communications. That is where disruption is occurring
that can threaten businesses if they don’t adapt to the changing
ways people are discovering, shopping and sharing information
Resort 2018 Fashion Trend:
Roomy Dresses
T R END I NG
about what they love. As Courtney, a 27-year-old MBA student
tells us, “I will sometimes see a social influencer wearing a bag
or piece of clothing that I love and then check the tags on
Instagram to see who makes it and where I can buy it.” There is a
“gamification” factor at work here that is irresistible to this
audience.
To be successful in this arena, brands should understand that
Millennials simply don’t access or engage with luxury in exactly
the same way previous generations did. This generation was
raised on e-commerce — which means they’re deal-hunting
pros. They want to experience luxury, but they’re frequently
unwilling to pay full price for it, preferring to spend hours
hunting down bargains on consignment sites or stalking items
for months before making a purchase.
Alicia, 30 and a CWH Membership Manager at SoHo House in
New York, noted that she prioritizes “luxury by buying classic
pieces that transcend each season. It allows me to avoid buying
trendy items that get thrown out and I can spend the rest of my
shopping money on fun designer items on Farfetch or vintage
pieces from The Real Real. By keeping an eye on items I know
Taylor Swift’s ‘Look What YouMade Me Do’ Lyric Video Breaks
Recommended by
will be eventually discounted, on sites like Barneys or Saks, I’m
able to righteously fight for the designer items I want. Being
smart is part of being fashionable.”
While many luxury retailers are resistant to heavy discounting
and may dismiss deal hunters, they should be getting creative
and working to meet Millennial consumers where they are. This
means they have to think outside the store and the traditional e-
commerce channels to engage with them.
24-Hour Record
Coincidence?
‘Stranger Things’
Star Gaten
Matarazzo Stars in
Missing Talent
Agent Found Dead
Near New Jersey
Home
Taylor Swift’s ‘Look
What You Made Me
Do’ Music Video
Debuts at VMAs…
@wwd
Sneakercon made its foray into Asia on Saturday.
SOCIAL STUDIES
Unlike so many disposable consumer goods, the craftsmanship,
the feel and the function of luxury items can make them an
“experience” in and of themselves. Even more importantly this
is a generation that values creativity very highly. This is where
high-end brands have an advantage with identity — and
experience-driven Millennials.
Part of the challenge is knowing where and how to listen to
where the Millennial may already be “virtually” consuming
luxury brands. They may feel they are a Chanel loyalist even if
they are buying the handbag on Vestiaire Collective. That step is
an important first move toward buying it firsthand. They may
feel they are fans of Céline even if they’re just buying the
knockoff jacket at Zara for now. They’ll get there. They want to.
Take the time to talk to them, find out how they are virtually
consuming you, whether it’s subscribing to your YouTube
channel or simply by talking to them once in a while. In these
ways, you’ll know where to meet them and provide them with
ways into your brand.
By taking the time to better understand these nuances, brands
can begin to reframe the gloomy narrative that the younger
generation has given up on luxury, and start forging long-lasting
Sneakercon made its foray into Asia on Saturday.
For a look at the best sneakers spotted at the
event in Hong Kong, go to WWD.com.
#wwdfashion (�: @jl_alvarez)
relationships with their next, most important consumer
segment.
Malinda Sanna is founder and chief executive officer of Spark
Ideas.
More business stories from WWD:
Note to Retailers: Generation Z Consumers Are Not All the Same
Feelunique.com’s Growth in China Fueled by Partnership With
Azoya
Amazon, Wal-Mart and Apple Top List of Biggest E-commerce
Retailers
Consumer Preferences Reshaping Retail Landscape
You're missing something!
SUBSCRIBE NOW
Luxury Millennials think tank