E-commerce still has a future, Etro and Pollini explain which one
“Luxury was somewhat slow to progress compared to new generations. And finding a way to set oneself apart from the competition is difficult. Paradigms have changes”, said Luciana Farina, Global E-Business & Omnichannel Director of Etro, during the e-P Summit 2024 event. The implementation of new technologies in the fashion industry is a must when talking with young consumers. How? With e-commerce, for example. “Sales channels can no longer be separate. Online can’t be its own ecosystem”, continues Farina. The word “hybrid” is absolutely abused, but the direction is toward omnichannel and cross-channel. Pollini agrees, as he say the digital channel growing by 49% thanks to the internationalization and restructuring of the online platform.
Pollini’s e-commerce
“We were able of increasing revenue by 49% – says Pascal Giada Palmieri, e-commerce Manager of Pollini (presentation in photo) -. This was mainly driven by the updates done on the platform, together with a control process set by professionals”. The brand has historically had older customers, “while before the average client was around 60 years old, today they are between 30 and 35”.
But the goal is to reach more and more young consumers, and using new technologies is very important. “Getting out of stores and bringing customer care into the platform is our challenge for 2024”. The brand is trying to “communicate in the language of the target segment. We are still in the beginning phases of AI, but we have introduced a number of services in our e-commerce platform in an attempt to target a more digital generation, through payment systems, for example – explains Palmieri -. Not just credit cards, but more modern and current solutions”.
The push towards young consumers
“Communication is mainly done through Instagram, to show we changed our style. We aim to direct ourselves toward a different target”. The new site currently being developed will be mobile-driven, thus designed to be utilized on the phone. “99% of our business comes from mobile purchases. These are things actually making a difference”. The tone of voice when describing products has also changed, as we focus on updating the language we use”, adds Beatriz Barros, Fashion & Luxury Business Consultant.
Etro’s experience
Etro has designed its last advertisement campaign with AI. “We are testing it – said Luciana Farina -. I believe that right now there is a bit of a hurry to use it to replace complicated processes. People consider AI as the tool to simplify systems and tech processes. But it can’t replace thought and the knowledge of a product, which makes the difference. According to technology I could be selling a metal component or a clothing item, to it there would be no difference, but we know that’s not true. The experience changes and we want to put clients at the center of it: the machine is, as of today, not capable of understanding the difference”. According to Farina we should be careful: “Technology is somewhat consuming our strategy”.
