Cartier and Selfridges are both big names in the world of fashion and retail. Cartier is the world-famous luxury Swiss watch brand which was first founded back in 1847 by Louis-Francois Cartier, and Selfridges is arguably the world's finest department store, where all kinds of luxury goods, clothing and food can be found. Cartier is one of the many famous designer brands stocked by the store, but up until now the watches have been sold in traditional fashion, over the counter, packed in the signature Cartier red box
Combining Convenience and Customer Care
Now, in a brand new, ultra-modern approach to retail, Selfridges have announced that they are launching a Cartier Click-and-Collect service from the Wonder Room section of their website. This will provide a fast and straight-forward way of purchasing a watch, without losing out on the customer service for which the department store is famous. Customers can browse through the selection of watches online and complete the transaction, all with the click of a mouse and the press of a button.
However, as evidenced from the Click-and-Collect title, customers will still have to come into the store to collect their new luxury Swiss watch, and once in-store they will be able to benefit from Selfridges' excellent levels of customer service. As a spokesman for Cartier stated, this means of purchasing a watch means you will still be able to 'experience the magic' of the Cartier red box.
Selfridges' multichannel director, Simon Forster, said that selling Cartier watches online using the new Click-and-Collect service was an important milestone.
Some of the types of Cartier watch you can purchase from the department store's Wonder Room include the Trinity, Juste un Clou, Tank, Santos and Ballon de Cartier. Using Click-and-Collect means you can purchase the watch you desire quickly and seamlessly, and don't have to worry about the item getting lost in the post.
Leading the Way
This collaboration between Cartier and Selfridges will cause a paradigm shift in the way other luxury brands do business. Until now, luxury labels like Cartier have been very reluctant to use the digital platform to sell their wares, fearing that such a distant, impersonal method of selling may "dilute" their exclusivity and cause customers to perceive a lessening of their high standards of personal service. But now that Cartier has taken the plunge and gone online, it is to be expected that other watch brands and high-end jewellers will soon follow suit.
Currently, this new Cartier Click-and-Collect service is available for the brand's core selection of watches and jewellery, such as the items named above. Accessories and leather goods are also included. But the service is not yet available for items of jewellery, fine watches, or things such as rings and bracelets which need to be carefully sized to fit the individual customer and thus cannot be bought 'sight unseen'. Speaking about the collaboration, Laurent Feniou, Managing Director of Cartier UK, said: "As the UK is one of the most developed and engaged audiences in terms of ecommerce and online interaction, it seemed a fitting place to partner with one of the world's leading department stores."