As Dior introduces its new managing director, former Miu Miu CEO Benedetta Petruzzo, the RetailX France 360° report looks at the retailer’s rich heritage and sophisticated digital presence.
The name Dior is synonymous with the French luxury sector. This is a reflection of its rich heritage and, in particular, its association with the so-called ‘New Look’ created by designer Christian Dior in 1947. In the present day, its parent company is the luxury group LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton. Its flagship store at 30 Avenue Montaigne in Paris, which was recently extensively renovated, is as much art gallery as a retail space.
Dior’s sheer size and reach can be seen in its first quarter results for 2024. Overall, Dior recorded revenues of $20.7bn. While this was a decline from 2023, when the equivalent figure was $21bn, the company still reported “organic revenue growth” of 3%.
The brand’s digital presence is every bit as sophisticated as you would expect. The landing page of its French desktop site highlights two main categories: fashion & accessories and perfume & beauty. From here, customers can quickly navigate to the full range of Dior’s products. The company offers a range of incentives to draw customers in, from free standard delivery to those who sign up to the website through to free samples. High-end imagery and video are used extensively on the site, including, for example, footage from the catwalk.
While these clothes may be out of the price range of most consumers, not all Dior products are prohibitively expensive. Its makeup ranges and perfume represent affordable luxury, which is of growing importance within the sector.
Its famous handbags, although expensive, are one-off purchases that hold their value and appeal to consumers who prefer to buy a smaller number of high-quality items – especially since there is a growing second-hand market for luxury items.
The fact that so many of Dior’s products are made in countries where production costs are relatively high – selvedge jeans in Japan, leather goods in Europe and so on – also appeals to customers looking for items produced to high ethical standards.
For all its heritage, Dior works hard to connect with potential customers and younger demographics. The creative director of Dior Homme is Kim Jones, noted for his willingness to collaborate with streetwear designers. Its Dior Official Instagram account has 46.3mn followers globally. As well as film and sports stars, the company early on realised the importance of social media influencers in amplifying its social media marketing.
This Dior profile is one of nine in the RetailX France 360 report. Each profile offers company profit and sales figures, share price and web traffic as well as a review of what makes their business exemplary.
This report has been written for those who are thinking about launching in France, have an established presence or simply curious about the market. It takes in political and macroeconomic factors, ConsumerX analysis of how French shoppers want to interact with retailers and analysis of both French retailers and of leading retailers from other territories that help shape the market.
Stay informed
Our editor carefully curates two newsletters a week filled with up-to-date news, analysis and research, click here to subscribe to the FREE newsletter sent straight to your inbox and why not follow us on LinkedIn to receive the latest updates on our research and analysis.
