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Jun 14, 2023

Harnessing luxury’s cultural impact and multi

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By Vogue Business in partnership with Amazon Ads

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A new study created by Vogue Business in collaboration with Amazon Ads reveals that around a quarter of luxury consumers in Europe prefer to learn more about a product online and then shop for it in-store, while a further 18 per cent do the entirety of their research and purchasing online. The research included a survey of 2,739 luxury consumers aged 18-65+ in the UK, Italy, France, Spain and Germany during April/May 2023.

Although traditional modes of inspiration such as in-store browsing, social media influencers and magazines and newspapers are still top for offering general inspiration, when it came to evaluating specific ideas, recommendations and reviews, consumers mainly turned to online sources, such as Instagram (44 per cent), YouTube (28 per cent) and Amazon (25 per cent) for ready-to-wear, accessories and lifestyle. Advertising content seen on marketplaces (such as Amazon or Etsy) and streaming websites (including Prime Video and Twitch) are now almost as important as a discovery channel as advertising content seen on social media.

Not only are luxury consumers finding inspiration across multiple touchpoints, they are also spending more time in the discovery phase in order to make an informed decision. With the exception of a few impulse shoppers who discover products the same day as their purchase, on average, the majority of luxury shoppers (89 per cent) tend to take a more considered approach, giving brands ample opportunity to influence their purchase decisions.

Popular culture continues to influence shoppers’ decisions around fashion, with more than half the luxury consumers surveyed, especially millennials, finding inspiration from actors, musicians, and travel influencers — which reflects the sector’s cultural impact. Online streaming, in particular, is playing a starring role in targeting niche and dedicated audiences, with 80 per cent of consumers who shopped for luxury fashion and accessories in the last six months having a Prime subscription and 75 per cent tuning in to stream their favourite shows anywhere between several times a month to every day.

While action, comedy and drama were the most popular streaming content for luxury consumers, those who shopped for luxury fashion and accessories, in particular, had a higher propensity for art documentaries, travel, sport, romance and musicals, while adult Gen Z outperformed the average for anime and other fiction categories. Whether advertising through streaming services, tapping brand ambassadors or collaborating with films or TV shows on collections, brands would benefit by engaging in popular culture and diversifying across a range of genres to best reflect consumers' varied interests. To read the full report, download via the button below.

Boilerplate: Vogue Business surveyed 2,739 luxury consumers across the UK, France, Italy, Spain and Germany. Consumers were aged 18-65+ and had an even split of males and females. Respondents were luxury shoppers who spent a minimum spend of €1,000 on luxury products in the last 12 months, or €500 on a single item. Respondents were asked about their luxury shopping habits, shopping influences and engagement with content and culture.

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