Secret Shopping Takes On a New Meaning
Not long ago, Tesco was asked to use plain vans when delivering to wealthy customers reluctant to be seen buying from such a low-priced supermarket. Soon, it may be more expensive Ocado that can't be visible in certain neighborhoods. Customers with money to spend are now apparently shy about flaunting it.
Lisa Armstrong, writing in The Times in the U.K., maintains that conspicuous spending is being replaced by surreptitious spending among the few still willing and able to splash out on fancy labels. While conceding that there are fewer big spenders roaming the aisles, Ms. Armstrong also believes that "anyone hoping that the nation has undergone a Damascene conversion and will henceforth be donning hair shirts, planting mung beans and singing Lord We Have Sinned may be in for a long wait."
Her theory, instead, is that shoppers are simply being more discreet. According to Ms. Armstrong, sales of high priced bottles of wine, classic jewelry, premium-priced small cars and even garter belts and stockings, "are proving remarkably robust"."
Referring to personal style consultant, Annabel Hodin, she insists that "the mere fact that this species is not extinct is a sign of sorts" while re-defining customers as "Furtive Shoppers" who make many of their purchases online in order to avoid being seen.
Amongst those benefiting from this alleged trend are Matches, an "upmarket mini-chain of fashion boutiques," and jeweler, Asprey. Shoppers are apparently making their decisions online but sending "assistants" to collect the goods so that they aren't seen.
Retailers have not been slow to understand and are doing what they can to help. Netaporter.com has switched to a "discreet brown parcel service instead of the lavish wrapping that was one of its hallmarks" while other well-known stores are offering the option of non-branded bags.
Which might raise a few eyebrows as we wonder if shoppers are truly economizing or simply sneaking famous label purchases into downscale or unlabeled bags. This could become a new witch hunt!
Discussion questions: What do you think of the opportunity around targeting the "covert" luxury shopper? Should high-end retailers be looking to help their customers avoid the perception of ostentatious consumption? If so, in what ways?