68% of Middle Eastern Luxury Consumers Feel “A Sense of Occasion” When They Buy An Investment Piece, New Survey Reveals

A comprehensive global study orchestrated by The Village Collection offers a unique glimpse into the emotional stages of luxury shopping 

The Village Collection, a unique concept in outlet shopping created by Value Retail, has unveiled the findings of an unprecedented global survey*, intended to chronicle the emotional journey consumers undergo when shopping for luxury items. And the results are fascinating: based on the analysis, for the majority of consumers, the success of a luxury shopping experience is not just about the product itself – it actually has just as much to do with the internal atmosphere of a store. In fact, 68% of Middle Eastern luxury consumers “enjoy the retail and shopping experience as much as the item.”

Overall, the study pinpoints the emotional catalysts that drive luxury shopping; moreover, it outlines how these triggers can influence the buying decisions of Middle Eastern luxury consumers. 

The survey was specifically launched to better understand what motivates shoppers to discover their “new favourite”; after all, this season, the Village Collection is celebrating falling in love – the joyous experience of finding ‘the one’ that will be by your side, day after day. Whether ‘the one’ is a handbag, a luxurious statement coat or the perfect pair of winter boots, the Village Collection ‘Fall for a New Favourite’ campaign celebrates this multisensory process of discovery: touching, feeling, trying the piece on, all leading up to that special moment when you look in the mirror and know that it’s the one for you. 

The study’s findings reveal that, for the majority (64%) of Middle Eastern luxury consumers, a favourable environment and the right ambiance can affect the outcome of the shopping experience; and perhaps even more surprisingly, these factors can “inspire them as much as the actual item”. This quashes the notion that Middle Eastern consumers’ purchase decision process is simply guided by the appeal of the actual item. As it turns out, the product is just one part of a much larger puzzle.

According to the global survey, this trend doesn’t just pertain to the Middle East. Overall findings show that, for 81% of Chinese luxury consumers, the right environment is also what makes them fall in love with a must-have item. In parallel, for 60% of Russian and French respondents, seemingly unimportant details such as store lighting, music, and ambiance help set the mood when shopping for the perfect item.

Over two thirds (68%) of Middle Eastern luxury consumers said that they feel a “sense of occasion” when they purchase an investment piece. And, over two thirds (69%) of Chinese respondents and 60% of Russian respondents shared that very sentiment. 

* To understand the emotional journey that motivates shoppers to discover their “new favourite”, Value Retail – the creator and operator of the Village Collection – collaborated with Research Now, a global leader in data collection, to conduct an international study of 9,000 participants. The study, which included male and female participants from the UK, France, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Ireland, China, Italy, the Middle East and Russia, sought to identify the catalysts behind shoppers’ decisions – whether they are emotional (the “you-just-know” effect), or experiential (enhanced by the ambience and experience).