News
Brits show greatest desire for luxury handbags
06 July 2012
American designer Coach is the most searched-for luxury handbag brand online across the world, according to Digital Luxury Group and Luxury Society’s inaugural World Luxury Index on handbags.
Behind Coach was Louis Vuitton, followed by Chanel, Gucci and Longchamp, respectively. Prada, Hermès, Mulberry, Marc Jacobs and Michael Kors rounded-out the top 10 most searched luxury brands globally.
Overall by country, the UK showed the highest affinity for luxury handbags with 422 searches per 1,000 internet users. The US followed with 315 searches per 1,000, followed by Italy (196), France (185), Germany (97), Japan (52), Brazil (13) and India (12).
Despite ranking number one globally, Coach was far less popular in the European market, with the American brand ranking 29th in Italy, 19th in France, 11th in Germany and 7th in the UK.
Longchamp was the most desired brand online in France, with almost twice as many searches for handbags than Louis Vuitton in second place. In the UK, Mulberry was the bag of choice, with twice as many searches than the number two brand Chanel.
In Japan, where 85% of Japanese women already own a Louis Vuitton product, Louis Vuitton ranked in ninth place, making it the only country in which the brand didn’t place in the top five.
In Brazil, consumers showed more preference for non-mainstream brands. Brands performing particularly well in Brazil compared to other markets include Céline (which ranked 3rd in Brazil, 13th globally), Balenciaga (7th in Brazil, 17th globally) and Goyard (11th in Brazil, 29th globally).
“Shoppers look to their smartphones, tablets and laptops, and many of these will be browsing for pleasure, not necessarily to make a purchase there and then,” comments Rakuten Linkshare managing director Mark Haviland. “The research phase of browsing and shopping has become key and the internet is often the first point of call as shoppers compare products, colours and prices both on and offline.”
“Retailers will want some of these online browsers to convert to a sale, and to ensure your brand profits, you have to ensure your brand is everywhere,” he adds. “All online channels are important in this journey to making a decision to purchase; in store, on style blogs and websites as well as working with trusted publishers to build an unmissable presence.”
The research covered more than 130 handbag brands through more than 130 million searches in eight countries. Premium brands included in the study were Coach, Hugo Boss, Calvin Klein, Michael Kors, Kate Spade, Furla and Longchamp, along with major luxury brands Armani, Bottega Veneta, Burberry, Chanel, Dior, Fendi, Gucci, Hermès, Louis Vuitton, Ferragamo and Prada.
Jenni Baker, London