5 Things We Learned From Matches Fashion About the Luxury Online Shopper in France

Matches Fashion launched its French language website in February, complete with mobile apps, a magazine and dedicated stylists. And today, a study on the online habits of French luxury shoppers proved that it was a seriously bonne idée (good idea).

Today at a flower-strewn press breakfast in Paris’ Place des Vosges, the brand released the results of a study by the Institut Francais de la Mode (the Paris equivalent to Parsons) on the shopping habits of the French luxury consumer.

This is the study’s second wave or “nouvelle vague” as it’s known out here. The first was released six months ago and the progression is telling. “France has a reputation for being quite slow in terms of digital,” said IFM director of programming, Franck Delpal. The results, however, proved otherwise and here are our five takeouts from the findings.

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1. In the last six months, the percentage of luxury customers who have made one or more purchases online has risen six percent from 70 to 76 percent.
2. E-commerce sites are now on par with physical shops in terms of the consumer’s likelihood to purchase during a visit. This has risen by eight percent to 44 percent. Conversely, likelihood to purchase during a visit to a physical shop has fallen by three percent.
3. Whether online or brick and mortar (department stores included), multibrand formats are rising in popularity. Online has risen some six percent. Single brand formats have remained stagnant.
4. When it comes to the millennial sector of those surveyed, the rises in each case are doubled.
5. Oh, and just for the record, IFM also asked respondents about holiday shopping and 59 percent are likely to buy a pair of shoes as a festive gift.

“I thought it was a great challenge to go into an industry that was under penetrated online,” Matches Fashion CEO Ulric Jerome told Footwear News. “The luxury customer was already there and highly connected. They travel all time and have multiple devices. But there were very few products available online.”

“Now customers see online on exactly the same level as store in terms of triggering buying behavior,” continued Jerome. “You have to listen to your customer.” 

He did. And as everybody knows, the customer is always right.