A Wren Says

While I was in school in a remote town with no car, Amazon, that online retailer with products galore was a beacon of hope. Everything I needed would show up at my doorstep: Books, snacks, tools, furniture, and more, all despite my transportation woes. But as time went on and I got a car, I relied on them less and less, opting instead to shop in store and diversify my online shopping.

Learning of their shift to providing luxury on the site, I was leary. Just like many of the brands who have refused to enter the platform, I also question the spot of a $2000 coat in such digital proximity to a low-low deal on toothpaste. I also question the company’s commitments to workers’ rights. But more importantly, I just like it when luxury feels luxurious.

One of the main promoted draws of Amazon’s Luxury Stores is the promise of fast shipping. But experience has been that luxury brands already ship fast. I have often been surprised by how quickly I received a tracking number. Further, because many of the brands have opted to ship from their own warehouses, Amazon has no control and cannot guarantee a better shipping rate than I would receive shopping with the brand directly.

The other promoted benefit is the ease of checkout. Perhaps, some shoppers already have their card on file and can add multiple brands at a time in the same transaction. But I question how this differs from shopping online with Saks or Net-a-Porter or a number of other established retailers. I personally am not drawn by the benefits put forth. Instead, I would be more concerned about what I would lose in that transaction, and that is the art of customer service.

Luxury brands have designed a method of interacting with their clientele to make them feel special and keep them coming back. This includes loyalty programs, gifts with purchase, samples with your order, personal shoppers, and random gifts just to remind you they still think of you. They want to build a relationship with their customers directly. And selfishly, I want to reap the rewards of that relationship.

Despite the ease of using Amazon, despite how artfully their site is designed, I think that is something that should not be overlooked. Regardless of how many products or brands Amazon is able to get on to the Luxury Stores site, I don’t believe (as a non-expert on this topic) they will reach the success they are after if they don’t attend to creating a specific, targeted way of interacting with luxury customers.  They have go beyond just filling orders and towards building relationships and trust.

But what do you think? Would you buy your high-end goods from Amazon?