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To make the matter worse for luxury brands, this international clientele
has its own specific attitudes, demands and expectations. In addition to
their expectation of being recognized, respected and accorded VIP treat-
ment across every store and online, these clients also expect luxury brands
to remember their tastes, habits and preferences and to use this information
to tailor offerings to them for a refined shopping and brand experience. This
poses a real challenge to luxury brands that can only be overcome with the
integration of the appropriate client management and rewards systems.
Figure 7.1
The global increase of high net-worth individuals has led to the rise
of a segment of luxury clients with international profiles who shop in luxury
boutiques around the world. These clients, who increasingly have multiple
nationalities and passports, several homes and addresses, and numerous bank
accounts and credit cards have proved a challenging demographic for luxury
brands to cater to as a result of the difficulties in capturing their personal data
and tracking their multiple profiles. At the same time, they increasingly expect
brands that have extensive store networks around the world, like Cartier, to
recognize them, understand them and provide them with tailor-made offerings in
products, services and shopping experience both online and offline
Rewarding the online luxury client
Once upon a time, when luxury was solely a combination of the art of craft-
ing beautiful products and selling them in intimate environs, the best clients
that frequently purchased these products were known to the designers, store
owners and shopkeepers. They formed personal relationships that stretched
beyond the store walls. In addition to knowing their names, tastes and pref-
erences, the designers and store owners also knew their families, friends,
lifestyles, homes, pets and even their birthdays. Maintaining a strong rela-
tionship with this clientele was so important that the owners of the luxury
