Study: Nordstrom--online and in-store--top luxury retailer

New York --Nordstrom came out on top in a ranking of luxury retailers by the Luxury Institute.



According to the group's 2014 Luxury Multichannel Engagement Index, Nordstrom had the highest incidence of customers spending online (26%) and in-store (45%). It also led in its share of total fashion spend (17%).




Bergdorf Goodman was the top-rated luxury retailer for in-store engagement with an in-store LMEI score of 8.17 out of 10. Ranking second for in-store engagement is Barneys New York (7.90), and Neiman Marcus (7.85) ranked third.



Saks.com ranked the highest for website engagement with an online LMEI score of 8.10. Saks.com achieved the top scores on three of the 16 website engagement criteria: the matching consumer perceptions of a luxury retailer, offering guided and personalized shopping experiences online, and featuring attractive and inspiring product displays.



Ranking narrowly behind Saks.com was Net-A-Porter (8.07), noted for its prices and personalized recommendations. Neimanmarcus.com (8.04) finished third but was ranked highest on five of the 16 criteria of online customer experience.



"Wealthy consumers have come to expect a lot from luxury retailers both online and in stores," said Luxury Institute CEO Milton Pedraza. "Not only do the goods that these retailers sell need to be of the finest quality, but they must also have top people, both online and offline, in place to deliver superior service and experiences."