strategic question related to luxury store size is whether ‘bigger’ automati-
cally translates to ‘better’ and whether the size of luxury stores influences
luxury consumers.Impersonal selling
This is the art of product display and store layout manipulation that promotes
the customer’s independence during shopping. Impersonal selling encourages
the customer to move freely within the store and to spend as much individual
time as possible without relying on the assistance of sales staff. It is a tactic that
aims at providing a total brand experience and encourages impulse purchases.
Impersonal selling is the opposite of personal selling. It enables customers
to request personal selling services when they actually need them, without
feeling that sales assistants are crowding them. In several cases, unsolicited
personal selling services come off as hard selling, which is often a put-off for
consumers. Impersonal selling on the other hand empowers customers and in
most instances is also more convenient for customers.
In addition, impersonal selling can be used to dispel misconceptions and
put consumers at ease. Some luxury consumers feel intimidated by luxury
stores because of the notion that such stores and staff have a cold and supe-
rior disposition. Impersonal selling is a way to counter this perception.
Although the luxury store should have adequate sales staff on hand to assist
shoppers, personal service is most effective when it is granted on request.
The additional benefits of impersonal selling include lower labour costs
for the companies that own the brands and, in some cases, less floor space
utilization. Impersonal selling techniques include product grouping, product
spread, space liberty and hot-spots for bestsellers or new products, among
others.
In designing the store concept, luxury brands are required to maintain the
attributes of creating a desire and an aspiration, while ensuring sales feasibil-
ity. These will ensure that the consumer benefits from both the functional and
socio-psychological gains of using luxury products.Retail extension
The retailing scene has undergone dramatic development in the last three
decades and continues to evolve. The current consumer culture has embraced
shopping as more than an act of necessity. Shopping is now a leisure, cultural
and entertainment activity in several parts of the world. For example, ‘Mall
Shopping’ is currently a major pastime in Dubai, London and most American
cities, and has become a strong competitor for other forms of arts and cultural
activities. The phrases ‘Meet me at the mall’ or ‘Let’s do the mall’ is becom-
ing as common as ‘I need a glass of water’.88
luxury fashion branding