Is technology ruining or enhancing our experience in luxury fashion stores?

The hallmark of luxury fashion is the personal experience that it offers beyond that of a traditional high street experience. But just as with all retail, we’ve seen an influx of technology being embraced, both in-store and online. The question I wish to pose is, does the use of data in luxury fashion stores leave a less exclusive service?

The high-quality service provided in luxury fashion stores is often said to define luxury, from the greeting at the door to the personalised shopper experience. However, we’ve seen some technology appear to replace some of these interactions, so does that mean luxury and its long-held understanding of uniqueness are being diluted?

Some say that technology has proven in multiple cases can complement the luxury experience. Luxury brands like Jaquemeus have been known to use technology with their luxury shopping experience and use it to help them maintain their USP. It could be by integrating carefully, we strike the balance between tradition whilst embracing modernity.

Traditionalists may argue that technology dilutes the personal touch that defines luxury, but a closer look can reveal that it has the power to enhance rather than detract from the shopping experience provided in luxury fashion stores.

Interactive displays and self-service kiosks allow luxury fashion brands to keep up with a world that centres around convenience but still provides customers with insights into products and suggests complementary items. Some luxury brands are even working behind the scenes to introduce virtual assistants. Imagine walking into a store and being greeted not by a human assistant but by a virtual assistant. These virtual assistants are said to avoid the limitations of human mood shifts and engage shoppers in meaningful ways, providing product information and answering your queries. Although, there is always an ethical conundrum of human nuance that has yet to be addressed by much of today’s technology.

We need to be able to see that technology and luxury can not only coexist but complement each other. The key to their relationship lies in its integration. As we move into a more modern world it is important that we don’t view it as a replacement but as a enhancement. The collaboration between innovation and tradition has the power to transform luxury fashion stores into a place of both heritage and somewhere that meets the demands of today’s consumers.

Emily is one of Orbition’s amazing Talent Partners. She has a passion for enabling organizations to drive decisions and obtain value from the use of Data, Analytics, and AI. She does this by connecting leaders and professionals within the senior end of the Data & Analytics space.  Read more.