Creating the Luxury Store Experience

A great selling staff and a strong brand identity are, of course, essential tools to clinch a sale, but they need to be utilized to full advantage in a venue that will attract customers. And that, say the experts, is a matter of offering comfort and convenience, atmosphere and ambience...and more.

"Number one is you have to have aesthetics," explains Milton Pedraza, chief executive officer (CEO) of the Luxury Institute, an independent research institution that focuses on the top 10 percent of America’s wealthy. "It's the backdrop, the background for everything. Number two is it needs to be a friendly, inviting, convenient, comfortable environment."

And everything in that environment is important, explains Jean Gipe, professor in apparel merchandising and management, California State Polytechnic University Pomona. "Basically, you're talking about every aspect of the interior of the store. But there's more than that. There are all the additionals: the music that's playing or any scent or sound. It's really how being in that environment affects the five senses and whether the shopper is unconsciously saying, 'I like being here.'

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