It's been quite some time since I last wrote about luxury on this blog, the whole summer actually. I didn't do nothing, I worked quite a lot to be fair, but chose to avoid spamming everyone's inbox with work-related stuff. After such an exhausting 2020 (and 2021 so far) I thought all of us deserved a break from the daily newsletters, reminders, injunctions and other alerts on what to do, what to read and how to live our lives.
However I kept reading a lot and wanted to kick off this new term by sharing one article and one report I'd found interesting along the way. I believe it's always a good way to find inspiration, new ideas, examples - especially at times when you are planning for next year or longer term. You all have busy lives, crazy schedules, or back-t0-back meetings so I tried to make this list as short and compact as possible.
Enjoy !
1 - A brilliant article by Forbes on how Breitling's new management team, led by CEO Georges Kern, reversed the situation by defining clear priorities for increasing the desirability of the brand and by applying key business agility principles (12mn audio / read). A really inspiring piece, full of tangible examples, on the strategic pillars and growth drivers a brand can use today.
The key information that really struck me:
They trimmed down the 600 skus catalogue to 150 references and got rid of what Kern calls “visual pollution”. (Remember Pr. Barry Schwartz' TED Talk about the Paradox of Choice!)
They launched a subscription model called #BreitlingSelect operating online only. Consumers pay a one-off fee of $450 and then $129 monthly. They can enjoy three watches per year and accumulate points with which they can buy a watch from the subscription pool. Breitling hopes 60% of subscribers will become buyers.
Using machine-learning algorithms, the brand combines and crunches the data it collects online with the data from its CRM. This capability enables the brand to convert more of the 4-out-of-5 customers who do not buy when they push open a store door than any other brand.
2 - The 2021 RealReal Resale Report - a 15-page document sharing exclusive data from The RealReal (23+ million members) and charting the current state of luxury resale and how COVID’s impact on what people are buying and selling is evolving. Basically, the report tells you what people will consign vs. what they buy - giving you a clue about what the next trend is before it's even a trend.
Credit : TheRealReal
"Shoppers are drawing inspiration from the past in pursuit of personal expression, driving demand for streetwear’s return to its preppy roots and vintage Japanese menswear. And of all age groups, our data suggests Gen Z will be the most conscious shoppers yet.” - Rati Sahi Levesque, President @ The RealReal
The key information that really struck me:
~40% Of shoppers say they shop TRR as a replacement for fast fashion
Dior knocked Hermès out of the top five and made the top of the list for the first time, propelled by +747% YoY growth in vintage.
TELFAR is the Emerging Brand of the Year : from UGG and Converse collabs to the sold-out ‘Bushwick Birkin,’ Telfar is everywhere. Bags, +9X YoY, drove its rise in the resale ranks, from #222 in handbag demand to #54. The Small Shopping Bag is the #1 most wanted, boosting its resale value +3.1X YoY.... with a +590% YoY demand...
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