Online gains importance for buyers of luxury clothing

Of shoppers under 40, more than one in two (55 percent) use social networks to find out about fashion. This is the result of the joint study "Fashion Shopping 2017" by the Delasocial agency and the market research institute Psyma. A total of 939 buyers of luxury clothing from Germany, the UK and the USA were surveyed.

Department stores and brands are most popular sources of information

The top three offline sources of information are department stores (34 percent), brand stores (24 percent) and personal conversations with friends (16 percent). Online (excluding social media), the retailer website (24 percent), brand website (23 percent) and product review sites (13 percent) top the list. When it comes to social media platforms, Facebook (17 percent) and Instagram and YouTube (both 12 percent) are among the most frequently used sources for obtaining information before buying luxury fashion.

Frank Knapp, Managing Director of Psyma Research+Consulting, explains: "The results show that not one source of information alone determines the purchase decision. Better customer orientation and conversion can be achieved by optimizing online and offline contact points. Ways to achieve this are the digitization of classic offline strengths in online retail, the expansion of offline strengths, and better digital integration in stationary retail. In doing so, the needs of different customer types with their respective interests and experiences must be taken into account. The data basis of the study has made it possible to segment fashion shoppers accordingly. The perfect starting point for user-oriented optimization."

Spontaneous purchases are made stationary

More spontaneous purchases are made in bricks-and-mortar stores than online. While 77 percent of respondents buy fashion spontaneously in stores, only 65 percent do so online. On the other hand, the number of people who make habitual or planned purchases is higher online (35 percent versus 22 percent offline). Thorsten Moe, Managing Director at Delasocial, sees one reason for this in the brain's reward system: "Those who buy offline receive the product and thus the reward immediately and do not have to wait for delivery. Online, you can also provide a reward for the customer through special offers or gamification during the purchase to support spontaneous purchases."

The price decides even with luxury fashion

In order to make a purchase decision, whether online or in stores, the price is decisive for every second fashion buyer, followed only by the fit of the clothing (38 percent). For just under one in three (31 percent), the advice of friends is relevant, especially for those who seek fashion inspiration on social media channels (42 percent). For fashion shoppers who seek information from online sources, recommendations based on their own preferences (29 percent) and product reviews/customer opinions (22 percent) are important. 27 percent of those who inform themselves via social media make their purchase decision based on recommendations from experts or influencers.

"Fashion retailers and fashion brands need to make customer experiences special"

Thorsten Moe demands: "The fashion industry puts people at the center, because the customer experience is virtually physically anchored in the product. Fashion retailers and fashion brands therefore have a duty to make all customer experiences special - no matter where the consumer is. E-commerce and brick-and-mortar retail can learn from each other. Stronger decision-making aids online and offline and better cross-channel interlinking would make the customer journey easier and faster and thus flush more sales into the coffers."

Figures on the "Fashion Shopping 2017" study as well as tips for retailers and fashion brands to offer their customers a better cross-channel experience are available in the accompanying whitepaper, which can be downloaded at Fashionjourney.net can be downloaded against contact details.