Most luxury goods and services brands think of their distribution channel options as comprised of three choices. They can go the wholesale/third party approach, develop their own retail/sale force channel, or they can sell via e-commerce. Now, new simple, effective app technologies such as Replika Software and others, are facilitating the development of the fourth channel, a network of devoted brand customers who become local influencers and sell directly to friends and family through apps that connect to the brand’s website. This approach, within ethical boundaries, is far more personal and effective than using celebrity influencers who are being perceived more, and more, like mercenaries, who buy fake followers, and are not true brand users or advocates. Look for this consumer-to-consumer channel to emerge rapidly in several luxury goods and services categories in 2019.
