Pernod Ricard To Launch Exclusive High-End eCommerce Hub

Pernod Ricard, the maker of spirits and alcohol, is gearing up to launch an online hub, dubbed “Discover the House,” which is targeted at high-net worth individuals. The exclusive online hub is part of the company’s efforts to expand its eCommerce business in the high-end, luxury market.

According to a report, Pernod Ricard filed the “Discover the House” trademark with the U.K. Intellectual Property Office and classified it under “electronic commerce services.” In an interview with Marketing Week, Denis O’Flynn, Pernod Ricard’s U.K. outgoing managing director, confirmed the hub will likely be invitation-only and is aimed at wealthy individuals. O’Flynn said the company envisions different rooms where visitors can explore various brand stories. The executive said the hub will be launched very soon, although a Pernod Ricard spokesman told Marketing Week it’s still in development. “The online shopper tends to be more of a premium shopper in the U.K. The value of the shopper is higher, which gives us an opportunity to be in the premium space, as there is a better chance of a purchase,” O’Flynn said in the report.

In this era of online discounts, luxury brands and luxury goods retailers may find it hard to compete with bargain-hunting shoppers, but it doesn’t mean their demise online. Rather it can be a windfall opportunity if those luxury brands or retailers are just as savvy as consumers and connect with shoppers through just the right channels in just the right ways. The companies that are going to succeed and be successful in this space — and it doesn’t matter if they’re selling a can of Coca-Cola or an $80,000 Tesla — are the companies that “embrace” social, mobile and omnichannel and use them as tools to better connect with potential customers and “foster brand loyalty,” according to WBR Digital.

“While creating digital brand awareness and adapting to consumers’ preferences continues to be at the forefront of marketing campaigns for luxury brands, retailers have begun to realize the linchpin of the brand experience is delivery consistency across the omnichannel journey,” a WBR Digital study found. “Creating a great customer experience is the driving force in fostering customer loyalty.”