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Photo: Courtesy of nymetroweather.com
The snow may stop Manhattan, but not luxury brands and retailers. They have used the blizzard as an opportunity to make a difference and help out the NYC community. With people worried about power outages and reduced transportation, brands and retailers have been predicting less foot traffic and sales in the luxury capital of the world.
Due to this, the luxury industry is surprised to see consumers braving the weather and coming out to stores. To say thank you, brands have decided to increase their assistance to make a memorable and positive impression on these consumers. Brands and retailers hope these consumers will remember their customer service and hospitality when the storm comes to an end. “Luxury is about the relationship between the brand and the customer,” said Gustavo Gomez, director of research and methodology at Envirosell, New York.
The higher levels of service makes for a better relationship, translating to brand loyalty in the future. If customers associate the brand with helping them out despite the blizzard, they’ll think of their positive experience. On the other hand, poor service will risk losing the customer, especially if they do not consider the chaos of the blizzard-like conditions.
This blizzard is likely have some economic impact, similar to the blizzard of 2010 leaving 11.2 million consumers housebound. Retailers have worked to minimize negativity by reminding consumers about the amenity of online shopping. Before the storm picked up yesterday, many brands recognized the weather in the Northeast. This caught their consumer audience’s attention and showed that they care.
Some brands had some fun with the idea of being snowed-in. Moët & Chandon shared a Facebook post saying, “To stocking up before the storm,” with a photo of a bottle of their Champagne in the snow. Marc Jacobs shared the advice, “Don’t panic” on a knit hat and a snow emoji via Twitter. Barneys NY also had some fun and showed reassurance through Twitter with its essential shopping list of wine and shoes, which was linked to an ecommerce page. Luxury brands and retailers to the approach to remind consumers to stay safe, all while simultaneously driving sales.
-by Deirdre McAndrew