Luxury eCommerce – How BPOs Can Help

Luxury brands have been slow to embrace the digital realm, but with the great shift to online shopping brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, luxury eCommerce is finally starting to make headway. However, many retailers are struggling to replicate the premier in-store experience online. eCommerce BPOs can help!

Traditionally, luxury shoppers have preferred the experience of going into a store and receiving white-glove service from a salesperson over making an online purchase. Before 2020, this meant most brands selling luxury online were out of touch with eCommerce trends.

But not all. Early digital adopters among luxury brands have been able to post exponential growth despite the coronavirus pandemic. In fact, from 2019–2021, the percentage of online luxury sales nearly doubled—from 12 to 22 percent, totaling $70.1 billion.

This year, online luxury sales are projected to grow even more, outpacing all other luxury sales channels. Global consultancy group Bain & Company forecasts that by 2025, online sales will make up 30 percent of the worldwide market, becoming the most significant channel for personal luxury goods sales.

Luxury shoppers have made it clear that the great consumer shift to shopping online applies to them as well. In response to this shift in consumer behavior, luxury brands are partnering with business process outsourcing (BPO) companies like PFS to offer a more personalized and concierge-like online shopping experience that mirrors the in-person experience. If they’re going to keep up this level of growth, luxury brands will need experienced partners to do so.

What is an Online Luxury Experience?

So, what defines a luxury online shopping experience? Here are a few key factors:

1. Personalized experience: Luxury shoppers want to feel like they are the only customer that matters. They expect personalized service and attention to detail, including everything from speedy answers to questions to customized recommendations.
2. Fast (and free) shipping: Luxury shoppers want their purchases fast, and they don’t want to pay extra for shipping. Tracking information and open, proactive communication along every step of the way is the minimum expectation.
3. Value-added services: Luxury customers want their purchases delivered with care. They don’t want to worry about damaged items or missing parts. But more than that, they expect a YouTube-worthy unboxing experience complete with special packaging, tissue paper, ribbon, engraved products and more, precisely what BPOs can provide.

How can you create a premier luxury eCommerce experience?

Providing the same level of customer service that luxury shoppers would receive in-store is challenging. To upgrade the delivery experience, luxury brands are engaging BPOs for eCommerce order fulfillment and customer service. For example, BPOs can help luxury brands with same-day or next-day delivery, scheduled delivery times, in-home assembly and even wardrobe styling. from across the country.

Then there’s the unboxing experience. Online luxury shoppers expect their purchases to arrive beautifully packaged, just like in-store. For example, in an effort to intrigue and delight customers when they received their purchase, one luxury fragrance company worked with PFS to design custom packaging that went beyond a brown box to create a memorable experience. When customers opened the box, it practically unwrapped itself, and it looked and felt like the customer had bought it in the store.

Finally, there’s customer service. Luxury shoppers expect quick responses to questions, and they don’t want to jump through hoops to get help. BPOs cam support concierge level customer service and offer the expertise to effectively support service levels that luxury shoppers expect. For example, they can identify top customers and route them to dedicated agents trained in the brand’s history and culture.

Leave the logistics to the pros

By partnering with eCommerce experts like PFS, luxury brands can focus on what they do best—designing and selling luxury products—while leaving the operational logistics to the pros. In this way, luxury brands can provide their customers with the level of service and attention to detail they’ve come to expect, from checkout to unboxing to any follow-up customer service.

If you’re looking to create an outstanding luxury brand experience across all channels, reach out to PFS. We’re here to support you in adding that special, on-brand touch that will surprise and delight your customers.