French luxury goods group Kering - which owns Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Balenciaga and Alexander McQueen - is stepping up its e-commerce presence with a new omnichannel digital strategy putting technology at the centre of customer experience.

In a statement posted to the company website, Grégory Boutté, who was appointed the group’s chief client and digital officer in December 2017, outlined plans to accelerate digital shopping – one of its fastest growing areas, representing six per cent of the group’s total retail sales for the first half of 2018.

The new direction will mean a closer working partnership with Apple to facilitate in-store payments via a new suite of shopping apps, along with greater control over e-commerce partnerships with third-party sites including Yoox Net-a-PPorter (YNAP).

Boutté said: “Digital can be many different things at once - a distribution channel; a platform for offering seamless omnichannel services to clients; a driver of brand image and visibility; and a tool for engaging with customers in a personalised way.”

The company is assembling a data science team to data projects focussing on personalised messages and experiences for customers, based on the profile and purchasing history data.

Plans are also in place for a China-based client and digital team which will help the group’s brands adapt to fast-changing digital practices to the Chinese market, along with identifying and promoting innovations from China to other markets.

All fashion brands will soon have WeChat mini-programs designed to offer Chinese customers a more seamless experience on social commerce, along with upgraded customer relationship management systems.

Websites across the group will now offer services including availability checks, in-store reservations, exclusive store appointments, in-store collections and exchanges and in-store online purchases.

Boutté said the new initiatives are designed to offer customers an exceptional experience across all channels in a “fast-changing” global market.

“These opportunities have been made possible by the experience and know-how that Kering has gained over the years, notably through its successful joint venture with YNAP. We will continue to work with them post-transition and to enjoy a fruitful relationship.”

In 2017, Kering had nearly 29,000 employees and its fashion houses generated a combined revenue of €10.8 billion.

Earlier this month Yoox launched AI-driven collections of women’s and men’s clothing called 8 by Yoox.

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