Luxury personal shoppers provide advice, guidance, and buying services to customers looking for luxury products. In this article, we’re going to focus on luxury personal shoppers in the field of fashion, since personal shopping is a popular service in the industry.
Personal shoppers possess an advanced knowledge of products, trends, and services, enabling them to suggest products to suit their customer’s needs. This job involves communicating with clients to establish what they’re looking for, offering guidance in regards to purchasing products, and assisting with exchanges and returns.
Luxury personal shopping is well suited to people who are passionate about fashion and luxury designers, and up-to-date on the latest trends.
Here’s everything you need to know about being a luxury personal shopper.
A luxury personal shopper assists a customer in shopping for luxury items. For instance, let’s say someone wants to buy a designer suit. It would be the personal shopper’s role to understand what the customer wants and which suit works best for the individual, while keeping things like designers, materials, trends, and budget forever in mind. It may also involve tracking down a specific item of clothing, sending photos of clothing options, or bringing racks of clothing to the customer’s home.
Ultimately, it is down to a luxury personal shopper to identify and address the needs of their client in order to provide them with a flawless service.
Here are a luxury personal shopper’s typical daily duties.
Personal shoppers process orders on behalf of clients either through email, phone, or live chat. It involves the shopper discussing what the client wants as well as any specific features they may have requested. The personal shopper will then log this information into the order entry system.
Luxury personal shoppers deal with a lot of money, which is why it’s crucial that they thoroughly understand the wants and needs of their clients. Before starting the process, most shoppers will set up a meeting with the client to discuss their needs before going ahead with the assignment. This way, they can understand what the client needs, their preferred styles, fabrics, and designers, and any additional details.
Personal shoppers present their clients with in-depth product information to ensure their clients are happy with their items. It is down to the client to decide whether or not to purchase the product/s.
While luxury personal shoppers typically deal with a large budget, they still need to ensure the items they suggest or purchase are within budget to the satisfaction of the client.
In some cases, a client may be unhappy with the item the receive and may wish to exchange or replace it. It is down to the luxury personal shopper to handle the exchanges and returns. If a personal shopper is handling exchanges, they will need to make sure they choose something more suitable.
Luxury personal shoppers should have a wide range of skills, including good communication and customer service skills, as well as time management and organizational skills. While there aren’t formal requirements for this job position, shoppers should possess the following skills to have a greater chance of succeeding in this role:
Luxury personal shoppers should maintain a friendly yet professional approach with each client and continuously provide a high level of customer service.
Shoppers must be able to communicate effectively with customers and listen well in order to fully understand their needs.
Personal shoppers need to be forward-thinking and creative when it comes to selecting and suggesting items for customers.
Since most shoppers are expected to shop for multiple clients at a time, it’s crucial that they’re highly organized and able to keep track of what they’re purchasing for each client.
Luxury personal shoppers typically work to strict deadlines, such as weddings, birthdays, and company events. They must be able to manage their time effectively and have purchases ready on time for clients.
There is a slight crossover with what stylists do here, however clients are known to, at times, use their personal shopper as a sounding board, particular on the luxury side. As a result, it is important to keep on top of current trends, including new designers entering the scene and be prepared to have a conversation with clients about them.
You need to have a strong idea of what is available for purchase, plus any close alternatives for times when you’re caught out. If you work for a department store, for example, Harrods, you need to ensure you build relationships for sales associates across the floors to ensure in the loop. If you’re a freelancer or consultant, this is even more important and broader, so you need to make sure you’re in communication with the stores you buy from.
This increases in importance the higher up the fashion pyramid you go. In particular when it comes to knowing your client. It also ties into the trend and retail awareness skills. When combined, it really makes you stand out, and plays a big part towards becoming the go-to shopper for your luxury clients. Plus, we often see this plays a big part in referrals! The happier your client, the more they will refer you to their friends and family, and this turns into a virtuous cycle!
Salaries depend on location, employer, and level of expertise. The average estimated salary of a luxury personal shopper in the United Kingdom is £24,000 per year. Of course, if you have several years of experience in personal shopping, you may expect to earn a lot more.
Once you are experienced enough, the other avenue you can also pursue is consulting and freelancing. The amount you can make is theoretically uncapped and can charge in a number of ways, including by the day, by the hour, and by the consultation, amongst others. Plus, if you work with designers or retailers that have a strong affiliate offering, you also get additional income per every client purchase. As an example, at Revstance, we work with a number of luxury personal shoppers via our Tastemaker program (our affiliate program), where the shopper makes 10% of the sale price.
Does luxury personal shopping sound like a dream job? If you’re interested in pursuing a career as a luxury personal shopper in the fashion industry, here are some tips to help you succeed.
If you want to make it as a luxury personal shopper, you’ll need to know everything about the fashion industry in order to make informed suggestions and decisions. From the latest fashion trends to fashion market segments, independent designers to haute couture designers, fair pricing to creative styling, learn everything you can about the industry as a whole. You can take an online or in-personal course, or read fashion magazines and books in abundance.
In addition to understand the fashion industry, learning about things like fit, tailoring, and fabrics is key to nailing your role as a personal shopper. After all, it is your job to help your client find something that fits perfectly and looks incredible. Understanding fits, tailoring, and fabrics can help you distinguish which will best suit your client’s body.
The best way to practice the art of luxury personal shopping is to practice on your loved ones. In exchange for helping them find the perfect outfit, ask if you can snap of photo of them in their outfit and share it on social media. This is a great way to show off your skills to the world and attract potential clients. Aim to work with a variety of body types and styles so you can gain as much experience as possible. Remember, everyone comes in all shapes and sizes. You need to be prepared to take on any body type and personal style.
Using the photos from your family and friends (with their permission of course!), create an eye-catching portfolio to show off your skills. The more body types and styles, the better. This way, you’re more likely to attract a wider, more diverse audience.
Whether you intern at a fashion magazine, get active on LinkedIn, or attend in-person fashion events, try to make as many connections in the fashion industry as you can. The more people you know, the greater your chances of landing luxury personal shopping assignments. You could even try offering services for free or for a much lower price in the beginning of your career just to get a name for yourself.
Becoming a luxury personal shopper does not require specific qualifications. However, it does require creativity, a flair and knowledge for fashion, and the ability to communicate clearly and effectively. If you like the sound of becoming a personal shopper, take the necessary steps to make it happen.
If you’re interested in learning more about this topic, check out our podcast episode where we discuss Fashion and Luxury Personal Shopping with an expert.
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