Four ways luxury fashion retailers are simplifying the customer experience with technology

High end customers have high expectations, and luxury brands are consistently facing pressure to keep up. A warm smile and attentive service are still essential, but they’re no longer enough on their own.

To meet these expectations, luxury retailers need the right technology to elevate every moment of the customer journey and deliver an experience that feels as refined as the brand itself.

Connecting online and offline experiences

Today’s luxury shopper expects the same level of care and clarity whether they’re browsing from home or stepping into a flagship store. As online sales continue to grow - Bain & Company predicts they’ll account for 30% of all luxury purchases in the near future - brands can’t afford to treat digital and physical channels as separate experiences.

The key is connection. When online and in-store operations are aligned, customers can move between them without friction. That might mean checking in-store availability online, saving favorites on a mobile app, or picking up an item in-store that was reserved online.

Take Swiss luxury department store Bongénie-Grieder as an example. By synchronizing its online and in-store systems, the company gives customers access to real-time stock information on its website, including what’s available in specific boutiques.

“This is the kind of information customers now demand,” says Hugo Roche, Digital Manager at Bongénie. “It brings added value to the user experience: the customer is immediately satisfied and will make more returning visits to our website, and our shops.”

Tracking customer purchasing habits

Luxury retail customers seek out specific pieces not just for style, but for what they represent. Being able to track purchasing habits across channels is essential to understanding these choices and uncovering what truly influences buying decisions.

Who gravitates toward accessories each season? Who shops during private sales? Who consistently buys from new collections? These patterns allow retailers to move from broad marketing to more tailored experiences, like offering early access to capsule collections or notifying someone when a favorite designer releases a new piece.

Belgian luxury fashion brand Essentiel Antwerp is putting this into practice with a system that enables them to access real-time customer data. “In the past, most customers would leave without identifying themselves,” Peter Bruggeman, CFO at Essentiel Antwerp, told LS Retail. “We’re trying to limit that now and ensure that we have the best possible visibility of what each customer buys and where they buy it.”

Recognising loyal customers

Part of what makes luxury retail so appealing is the personalised service that comes with it. When a long-time client walks into the store, staff should already know their size, their favourite designers, and whether they have a reward waiting. This kind of service shows that the brand is paying attention to their most valued customers.

Gieves & Hawkes, the historic British tailoring house, understands the impact of this level of service. Equipped with a powerful PoS, employees can pull up customer profiles and deliver the kind of assistance their customers expect.

“The better customer experience really comes into its own with our VIP customers,” says Sam Thompson, IT Manager at Gieves & Hawkes. “We can check account activity and give them a knowledgeable, friendly, first-class service.”

Expanding operations to meet demand

Luxury brands often attract a global following, and as demand grows, so does the need to deliver consistent, high quality experiences across every location. Whether opening a flagship store in a new market or launching a short-term pop-up, the challenge is the same: how to scale operations without compromising service.

Expanding shouldn’t mean starting from scratch. With the right systems in place, retailers can replicate the same level of excellence - from inventory accuracy to customer recognition - no matter where they are in the world.

For example, when Sam Edelman launched a pop-up store in Singapore, they needed more than just a temporary setup: they needed the ability to offer a full luxury experience that matched their established stores. To do this successfully, they selected a centralised retail management system that allowed them to scale effortlessly while maintaining a smooth customer journey.

“As Sam Edelman expands, LS Central software by LS Retail can scale to accommodate new locations, additional products, and increased customer data without disrupting our operations,” says Gina Goh, Managing Director at Sam Edelman.

Retail technology that keeps you top of mind

The right technology doesn’t replace the personal touch; it supports it. At LS Retail, we provide PoS and business management solutions designed for luxury fashion businesses, helping them deliver consistent, high end experiences while adapting to a fast-moving retail landscape.

Curious how our solutions can support your growth while preserving what makes your brand unique? Get in touch with our experts, we’ll show you what’s possible. 

About LS Retail, an Aptos Company 

LS Retail, an Aptos Company has been providing comprehensive PoS and business management software solutions to retail and hospitality businesses worldwide for over 30 years.

Our unified, modular solutions combine Point of Sale, inventory, customer loyalty, reporting, and financials into one system with the flexibility to scale and add functionality as business needs evolve. Today, over 100,000 retail stores, restaurants, cafés, pharmacies, resorts, cruise lines, gas stations, and more rely on LS Retail software in 157 countries.