In the face of the recession, affluent shoppers continued to indulge in their obsession with high-end fashion accessories, especially handbags which they used to update their outfits. But while women shoppers continued to spend on handbags, their share of wallet devoted to shoes dropped sharply. They also shifted where they shopped for fashion accessories, spending less in department stores and more in specialty boutiques and over the internet. These trends in the fashio accessories market have caused luxury marketers to rethink some of their tried-and-true marketing and distribution strategies.
Going into the critical 2010 selling season, luxury fashion accessories marketers need new insights to help them find traction in the changing luxury market. That is why Unity Marketing published a new "just the facts, ma'am" report on the luxury fashion accessories market. It includes details, facts and figures taken from Unity Marketing's Luxury Report 2009: The Ultimate Guide to the Luxury Consumer Market, which is based upon quarterly surveys among 1,000-1,200 affluent consumers (incomes $100,000 and above) conducted throughout 2007 and 2008.
Contained in this new concise snapshot report are these essential facts and figures that can give direction to luxury marketers' business and strategic plans.
What fashion accessory items are of most of interest to affluent consumers and how these items are trending year-over-year both in terms of purchase incidence and spending.
Which demographic segments of affluent consumers are increasing their spending, and which are still cutting back on luxury fashion accessories purchases.
Which retailers are the hot destinations for fashion accessories shopping, and which are still struggling to get into the game.
Which of the more than 40 fashion accessories brands included in the survey resonate most strongly with the affluent consumer, especially among the ultra-affluent segment (HHI $250,000) who are the most loyal customers for the leading luxury fashion brands.
What marketing messages affluent consumers find most attractive in the fashion sector.
"This report is written specifically for marketers that want the most up-to-date and salient facts to help them understand the trends in the current market and ways they can address their challenges. Unlike Unity Marketing's in-depth market research reports, this snapshot report gives the marketer the most important consumer data that will bring dimension to business planning. It doesn't overwhelm the busy executive with a lot of excess baggage they don't need, but presents them with the facts and figures they need to make decisions," explains Pam Danziger, president of Unity Marketing and author of Shopping: Why We Love It and How Retailers Can Create the Ultimate Customer Experience.