For a long time, Alaia was strongly associated with laser-cut bags and stretch-knit dresses. The brand slightly felt out of fashion to me, so I didn't really follow it. That is until some time ago.
It all started with Le Cœur heart-shaped bags. The simple yet fresh idea became viral. Then there were heart pumps in all possible colours and heel heights. Then, net ballet flats had their moment. And now, I can't take my eyes off see-through dresses and Le Teckel hot-dog style bags.
The latest ad has drawn even more of my attention. I mean, how cool is the idea of a Parisian Maison celebrating the power of femininity with sculptural silhouettes collaborating with the Crazy Horse Paris, the legendary Parisian cabaret!
It was this photo from the ad that I reposted on my private Instagram account, after which my long-term client asked me to help her order the bodysuit from the collection. So we both spent around half an hour trying to understand the size, and this is what today's website check will be about. I will not go further than the product page of this particular item to show the gaps I have noticed.
FOREWORD
Maison ALAIA is...
At this point, I tried to find information on the official website, but couldn't find it. Neither in the menu, nor in the footer.
As mentioned before, an online website - regardless of whether it includes an e-shop or not - is a great direct-to-customer (potential customer) communication channel for luxury fashion, providing an opportunity to tell its story firsthand. Moreover, the strategy and positioning of luxury also imply something more than just being a random window shop. Luxury needs a story - it is part of what makes it different (and justifies the price). Anyway, I was not going to make a broad analysis:)
Maison ALAIA is a legendary Parisian fashion Maison with a Couture soul
- as mentioned on Richemont website. Richemont bought the brand in 2007. But the group is better known for its jewellery portfolio - including Buccellati, Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels.
In 2023 Group sales were €19 953 mln, out of which:
€13 423 mln (or 67.273%) - were generated by Jewellerry maisons
€2 651 mln (or 13.286%) - were generated by Other businesses. Other businesses is the category where Maison ALAIA is included.
It is mentioned in the 2023 annual report that:
Alaïa relies on strong and historical partnerships with retail partners such as Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus and Saks, as well as online and specialty retailers, including NET-A-PORTER, Dover Street Market, Maxfield, The Webster and MyTheresa. These all contributed to the success and the expansion of the Maison.
According to official website information ALAIA operates 60 locations around the world, including corners and standalone boutiques.
PRODUCT PAGE CHECK
So let's go back to the bodysuit which we tried to buy. I will start with the basics - luxury needs a story. I am not buying a bread in the local supermarket, I want to buy a bodysuit from Parisian maison for 790 GBP.
Suggestion: For description part where only characteristics listed I would add a story. This is what AI proposed me from the first try:
Introducing the ALAIA Fitted Body in Fine Knit. This slim-fit, high-neck design features a chic swimmer's back, crafted from ultra-fine knit fabric for luxurious comfort. Made in Italy, it epitomizes Parisian elegance with timeless sophistication.
Great there are colour swatches for options available - as soon as you click on any it will take you to the product page with body in different colour.
The characteristics listed meanwhile is a good idea, I would just move it to Details section.
The Details section contains composition information and product reference. There is also a reference to care guide - the guide itself is very general.
The page also includes Shipping & Returns information. Regarding the information itself, it's unusual to see that express shipping is not complimentary. this is a luxury experience, isn’t it? Then it’s part of luxury service. Complimetary shipping does incur costs for the business (especially considering that all orders seem to be shipped from Italy), returns can also be costly.
However, providing customers with a top-notch experience would likely cost less than relying heavily on online retailers (which was mentioned in Richemont report) with typical margins of no less than 35-40% of the item price or operating boutique corners, which require significantly more investment than running an e-shop
Suggestion: As an option, complimentary express shipping could be offered for orders over a certain amount, which the brand would consider rational.
What I also checked is Return procedure mentioned. Apart from page being messy and containing three same blocks of details regarding exchange process:
I didn't fully understand whether exchanges are possible.
Suggestion: Information regarding policies (shipping, return, exchange) has to be clearly communicated.
And what is the purpose of star feedback of policy?
Suggestion: If the e-shop is interested in analyzing customer experience, the key word here is "customer". When a person purchases or returns something, they may receive an email asking for their opinion about the experience.
Going back to the item. The quality of pictures are amazing and very helpful. But the problem is... you don't really see the item. I often come across the shops which sell through the look, rather communicate the certain item.
Suggestion: While the outfit styled can be displayed, it's essential to show the item itself. I can see the bodysuit underneath the dress, but no pictures with just body on the model. And I am trying to buy the body here.
It also makes more difficult understanding the size. The website provides with a feature to find the size. It is now available on the number of websites. While we still did try it - it usually doesn't work correctly with my purchases. Meanwhile the information which might be the most helpful - like particular measurements I was often asked by my clients (I keep it a secret for the companies I consult) when we placed the orders online - is not mentioned.
The page also contains a section with full outfit details and recently viewed items - perfect way to engage with the client.
There is also a Reserve in a boutique button - the function we’ve seen on Dior website and a great way to finish the intent to buy for those who need to try first.
There could be at least three more touchpoints, which could be utilised.
We still purchased the body. Will see how the size feature works.
SUMMARY
Yes, ALAIA may not be the most important Maison within Richemont in terms of profit-making. But it has become viral in the past few years and hype wave could generate more revenues in case of strong e-commerce presence - by strong I mean informative, simple, yet unique. Just to remind - $45 Stanley Cups have generated $750 mln revenue in 2023 by becoming viral. While Alaia is at different price point, it’s price tag for viral models mentioned before may be still affordable for aspirational customers.
The other reason to put more effort into e-commerce is diversifying risks and having better control over sales. With heavy reliance on retailers, it may further be affected by the problems of partners. And we know the problems are there. Even Richemont, the owner of YNAP, reported that the group is loss-making and is trying to offload this asset. Net-a-porter, in this chain, has one of the most significant presences of Alaïa a cross exciting retailers.
And yes, Alaïa does not have a strong physical locations presence, which is another reason to consider the e-shop better.
With a positive things about product page:
Good quality pictures;
Clearly displayed details about design;
Colour options displayed;
Full outfit details and Recently viewed items - to better engage with the client;
Reserve in a boutique function;
Find the right size tool - not very helpful in my case, but still may work for others.
- there are a number of gaps, which may considerably improve customer experience and engagement:
Picture context - the item itself must be displayed as a central piece;
Delivery policies are not perfect from “luxury experience” point of view;
Technical improvements to better display information;
Size information is not full - as an experienced online shopper I consider some details essential to make a choice;
At least three touchpoint missing - the more you engage with the client on the page the better. By engagement I mean th number of ways to retain the attention for longer;
Overall the website doesn’t lobby brand’s story - part of further engagement (and justifying the luxury price tag).
The reason I visited the website was because of the ad campaign, which appeared to be a trigger. With a strong idea behind the latest campaign, the website didn’t completely contribute to a better conversion rate. The main task here is creating a roadmap and framework, while the investments for technical improvements are not significant at all. Meanwhile, this is just a random e-shop with lack of customer-oriented and statement approach.
Final grade: 5 out of 10
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