Even the most digitally averse brands are now embracing online channels to reach and engage with their affluent consumers.
Every luxury brand on our list is enjoying significant customer attention. They each drive substantial online conversations across social media channels and search. They are at the center of what matters to modern affluent consumers and influencers. Relevancy is the new legacy. Online luxury sales reached €49 billion at the end of 2020 (up from €33 billion in 2019) according to estimates by Bain & Company. More interestingly, the share of purchases made online for luxury goods nearly doubled to reach 23 percent of total sales in 2020 (up from 12 percent in 2019).
So if you’re wondering if and how the finest luxury brands in the world performed online, ponder no longer. We lift the lid on all the juicy data and details in our brand-new ranking of the best luxury brands online in 2021.
In this article, you will discover which luxury brands are the most talked about and sought-after online in 2021. We highlight particularly noteworthy digital initiatives and successful new product launches that help explain their current popularity online.
- The top 5 brands alone capture 57% of the affluent consumers’ attention and international search market share.
- 1 out of 4 brands is in the Hard Luxury segment.
- Saint Laurent, Fendi, and Lancôme did not crack the top 15 this year.
- Dolce Gabbana, Tom Ford, Estee Lauder, Moncler and Givenchy are notable runner-ups.
1. GUCCI
In what might be of little surprise to many, Italian luxury fashion house GUCCI maintains the top spot on the 2021 edition of our list of the most popular luxury brands online, well ahead of all its competitors and for four consecutive years. The popularity of the Kering-owned brand continues to decline in 2021, however — Online searches for GUCCI dropped by 13% year over year.
GUCCI also embraces genderless fashion and a sustainable supply chain, two important values, especially for the coveted younger generations of luxury shoppers. For example, Gucci launched its first sustainable collection Off The Grid in mid-2020 and introduced eco-packaging.
GUCCI is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. This milestone most likely won’t go unnoticed.
GUCCI also maintains a particularly strong presence in the coveted designer sneakers market. The Italian luxury label took a step further by selling the first pair of virtual luxury sneakers this year. The GUCCI Virtual 25 digital-only sneakers launched in March 2021 are indeed only available through the brand’s Sneakers Garage, a digital experience on Gucci’s mobile app. People can “wear” the shoe virtually and take photos or videos to be shared online.
GUCCI is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. This milestone most likely won’t go unnoticed.
Brand country: Italy Founded in: 1921 Industry: Luxury fashion Product categories: ready-to-wear, shoes, handbags, accessories, jewellery & watches, beauty, home decor
2. CHANEL
Luxury French fashion house CHANEL claims the second spot on our list of the most popular luxury brands online in 2021, mostly thanks to Louis Vuitton’s decline. The haute-couture house maintained indeed the same share of online search interest as last year at 11.55%.
CHANEL remains a privately held company owned by Alain and Gerard Wertheimer, grandsons of Pierre Wertheimer, an early business partner of Coco Chanel. The product range includes clothes, fragrances, handbags, and watches. The brand is most famous for its “little black dress”, the CHANEL No. 5 perfume, and the CHANEL Suit.
Brand country: France Founded in: 1909 Industry: Luxury fashion Product categories: clothing, shoes, accessories, watches, fragrances, beauty
3. HERMÈS
HERMÈS is another private luxury house, a rare occurrence on our list of the top luxury brands in the world. Hermès enjoyed impressive growth in online popularity in 2021.
The fashion house also increasingly focuses on the digital world. HERMÈS announced it would gradually expand its online offering, except for its most iconic products. Conceived and designed with an omnichannel approach, the “digital flagship” Hermès online store pairs content and commerce. The prestigious brand’s website is rich in editorial content and sells a variety of items. Hermès also launched online flagship stores in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
HERMÈS has also scaled up its presence in China. In fact, Hermès quietly debuted on Tmall’s Luxury Pavilion, Alibaba Group’s B2C online marketplace in January 2021.
As of April 2021, Hermès sells a selected number of its latest timepieces on MR PORTER.
Brand country: France Founded in: 1837 Industry: Fashion Product categories: clothing, shoes, accessories, watches, fragrances, beauty
4. DIOR
French luxury goods company Christian Dior, or just DIOR for short, rose again in 2021, gaining one point on our ranking of the best luxury brands online. DIOR takes fourth place thanks to its online experiments, localisations for the Chinese market, exclusive collections, and premium beauty product line.
For its international audience, DIOR introduced several innovative services such as DIOR Maison virtual boutique (replicating the experience of shopping in its Champs-Élysées boutique), an Instagram AR Virtual Makeup Filter, or a virtual sneaker try-on with Snapchat.
DIOR’s much-anticipated collaborations with streetwear legend Shawn Stüssy and Nike for the ‘Air DIOR Capsule Collection’ also strengthen the French luxury brand’s desire among younger generations of affluent consumers.
Brand country: France Founded in: 1946 Industry: Fashion Product categories: clothing, shoes, accessories, watches, fragrances, beauty
5. LOUIS VUITTON
Owned by the mega luxury conglomerate LVMH, French luxury house LOUIS VUITTON, or LV, is one of the major surprises of this year’s ranking of the most popular luxury brands online. LOUIS VUITTON lost three points in 2021, to end as number five on our list.
LOUIS VUITTON’s sales increased by 18% last year to be LVMH’s biggest revenue driver. The fashion house also tops Forbes’ most valuable luxury brands index with a brand value of $47.2 Billion.
Brand country: France Founded in: 1854 Industry: Fashion Product categories: clothing, shoes, accessories, watches, fragrances, beauty
6. ROLEX
The ranking of Swiss luxury watch manufacturer ROLEX dropped to sixth place on the list this year. Despite remaining steadfast in its commitment to brick-and-mortar retail, ROLEX is the most sought-after luxury watch online. The world-renowned luxury watch company is also featured on Forbes top 100 most valuable brands in the world, taking spot 80 with an estimated brand value of $9.5 Billion.
ROLEX still doesn’t offer e-commerce options but the rising popularity of online luxury resale sites creates more opportunities for people to buy Rolex watches online.
With the Apple Watches outselling the entire Swiss watch industry in terms of watches sold last year, the industry is feeling pressure, particularly for the entry-level brands. Thanks to its exceptional brand recognition, ROLEX managed to gain market shares last year, generating $8.5 billion in retail sales and accounting for 25% of the industry sales. Time will tell if the brand’s prestige can sustain current sales levels as young affluent consumers represent a larger segment of the consumer market.
Brand country: Switzerland Founded in: 1905 Industry: Watch Product categories: watches
7. TIFFANY
Amidst the controversy and long running saga that surrounded the acquisition of TIFFANY & Co. (Tiffany) by French luxury group LVMH, the American luxury jewellery brand gained two points on our list thanks to resilient consumer demand and renewed interest in hard luxury as safe investments.
As more affluent consumers seek to buy fine jewellery online, TIFFANY promotes further traceability efforts and transparency— In 2020, TIFFANY became the first global luxury jeweler to offer shoppers a completely transparent access to its stone’s “craftsmanship journey” (where the diamond was sorted, planned, cut, polished, graded and set). A great way to strengthen its appeal to younger generations of affluent consumers who value ethics and sustainability.
Brand country: United States Founded in: 1837 Industry: Jewellery Product categories: jewellery, watches, fragrances, and accessories
8. PRADA
Founded in 1913 by Mario Prada, Italian luxury fashion house PRADA has grown into one of the most notable luxury brands in the industry.
Belonging to the Prada Group, PRADA demonstrates remarkable international momentum by strengthening its relevance online and increasingly appealing to younger affluent consumers. The brand gains five points to end number eight on our list of the most popular luxury brands online in 2021.
The high-end brand also focuses on localisation and personalisation of content in Europe and China. Pop-up store experiments and new marketing formats such as the PRADA Mode events to connect with local audiences in Paris and Shanghai help boost the brand’s online presence.
Brand country: Italy Founded in: 1913 Industry: Fashion Product categories: clothing, shoes, accessories, watches, fragrances, beauty
9. VERSACE
Founded by Gianni Versace in 1978, flamboyant Italian luxury brand Versace makes its first appearance on our list this year to take the ninth position.
The brand is particularly apt at generating social media buzz online with one of the highest engagement rates in the industry. Its 34.5 million followers are indeed the most active on our list. Versace’s partnership with Jennifer Lopez to custom-design her dress for the Super Bowl half-time show last year gained instant recognition online. Supermodel and Instagram influencer Gigi Hadid also helped drive more conversations around the brand.
With Donatella Versace continuing to push the brand towards rich glamour and intricate baroque styles, we think 2021 will be another strong year for the Italian luxury designer as consumers seek release and entertainment.
Brand country: Italy Founded in: 1978 Industry: Fashion Product categories: clothing, shoes, accessories, watches, fragrances, beauty
10. ARMANI
ARMANI, the privately-owned Italian luxury fashion house founded by Giorgio Armani in 1975, lost three points to rank number ten on our list of the best luxury brands online.
The brand focuses on three core audiences: high-end customers with Giorgio Armani, mid-range consumers with Emporio Armani and young fashionista with A|X Armani Exchange.
Armani partnered with online retailer Yoox Net-a-Porter (already managing armani.com) to implement an AI-backed omnichannel business model that will support more sustainability, transparency and circularity by enabling ARMINI customers to check product availability in inventory across its digital stores and physical boutiques, with full integration expected in 2022.
Brand country: Italy Founded in: 1975 Industry: Fashion Product categories: clothing, shoes, accessories, watches, fragrances, beauty
11. VALENTINO
Another newcomer to our list of the most popular luxury brands online in 2021 is Italian fashion brand VALENTINO. The brand gains five points to jump to number eleven on our ranking.
VALENTINO sees a 62 percent increase in online sales for 2020, representing 14% of the total retail business. The fashion brand also debuted innovative digital initiatives including #ChezMaisonValentino, a series of live musical performances starting with Alicia Keys on the brand’s official Instagram account, and a dreamy Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2020-21 streaming from Rome’s historic Cinecittà Studios.
The Rome-based couture house is diving deeper into virtual reality with the launch of VALENTINO Insights in December 2020. The interactive virtual experience invites you to walk around a digital 3D replica of a Mediterranean villa inspired by creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli’s modern home in Nettuno, Italy.
VALENTINO hired American actress and social media celebrity Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman to be the effigy of its latest collection.
Brand country: Italy Founded in: 1960 Industry: Fashion Product categories: clothing, shoes, accessories, fragrances, beauty
12. BALENCIAGA
Spanish luxury brand BALENCIAGA, part of French luxury group Kering, is the biggest loser on our list this year, dropping by a staggering six points.
As shown by the search terms most often associated with the brand, BALENCIAGA, still relies heavily on its designer sneakers collection that was at the forefront of the luxury sneaker movement a few years ago. BALENCIAGA,’s Triple S model that came out in 2017 and the 2016 Speed Trainer were instant hits when they first launched. The Triple S sneakers helped define the ugly dad shoe trend but failed to generate the same enthusiasm as the Speed Trainers. Time will tell if the BALENCIAGA, Track 2 sneakers can lift the brand back to its previous high in 2021.
On the digital front, BALENCIAGA, made a bold move in December 2020 with the launch of its AW21 collection within a video game, Afterworld: The Age of Tomorrow. With a QR code, players could connect via any computer or smartphone to explore the game’s various areas while discovering creative director Demna Gvasalia’s new designs.
Brand country: Spain Founded in: 1919 Industry: Fashion Product categories: clothing, shoes, and accessories
13. CARTIER
CARTIER’s online popularity remains fairly constant in 2021, with the brand dropping by one spot but maintaining a consistent level of search interest.
The French luxury jewellery and high-end watch brand continues to produce a combination of highly polished videos and timeless design to appeal to a younger generation of luxury shoppers. The brand’s customers covet CARTIER’s love bangles (one of the most searched for pieces of jewellery on Google) and Panthers watches, and are comfortable purchasing them online. In 2018, CARTIER was already making 43% of its sales to consumers under 35 years old – testament to CARTIER’s ability to resonate with the new generations of luxury shoppers. The trend is even more apparent in Asia, where more than half of their customers are Millennials and Gen Z.
Brand country: France Founded in: 1847 Industry: Jewellery Product categories: jewellery, watches, accessories, and fragrances
14. BURBERRY
Despite a solid background as a digital luxury pioneer, British luxury brand BURBERRY lost four points this year to rank number fourteen on our list of the best luxury brands online.
While it enjoys a large social media audience with 44.2 million followers, BURBERRY suffers one of the lowest engagement rates across all channels.
If last year, BURBERRY adopted the drop model favoured by hip streetwear brands, the brand failed to capitalise on the loungewear trend this year while consumer demand for BURBERRY’s iconic trench coat declined. The brand’s investments in forward-looking digital retail spaces also failed to pay off this year due to limited offline shopping opportunities.
Noteworthily, BURBERRY boasts one of the most widespread presence on e-commerce platforms among luxury brands – be it owned or via online retailers and luxury online department stores.
In February 2020, BURBERRY debuted an augmented reality (AR) shopping tool through Google Search technology. The AR tool allows consumers to experience the British fashion label’s products embedded at scale against other real-life objects in the environment around them.
Often positioned as a luxury brand of firsts, BURBERRY became the first luxury fashion brand to embrace Twitch, Amazon-owned live video streaming service typically used by gamers. In September 2020 the british fashion house livestreamed its Spring/Summer 2021 with the support of celebrities like Bella Hadid and Rosalía.
Brand country: United Kingdom Founded in: 1856 Industry: Fashion Product categories: clothing, shoes, accessories, watches, fragrances, and beauty
15. OMEGA
Luxury watch manufacturer OMEGA makes its first appearance on our list at number fifteen. Although delayed, the interest surrounding the latest James Bond movie, which OMEGA heavily invests in, helps generate online interest for the Swiss brand. A similar spike in online search for OMEGA is visible every year a new James Bond movie is released.
Brand country: Switzerland Founded in: 1848 Industry: Watch Product categories: watches
This year will be a year of transition, ushering out conspicuous consumption in favour of conscious, elevated living.
Future-proofing opportunities lie in resiliency, agility and nimbleness in the face of changing consumer behaviours and an unpredictable environment. To remain relevant, luxury brands will need to increase their online brand visibility, nurture desirability and engage with their customers on their own terms.
In 5 words: Convenience, craftsmanship, core values, conversations and consumer-centricity.
That means focusing on an omnichannel approach, of course, but also highlighting the quality and timelessness of their products and delivering sustainability through the value chain.
Luxury brands must lean in and transform themselves from a brand-centric, controlled and confidential model to a more transparent, engaging and customer-centric organisation. Delivering a timely and timeless form of meaningful value and empowering expressions of individual identities will widen the lead of the best performing luxury brands against the poor digital performers.
In 5 words: Convenience, craftsmanship, core values, conversations and consumer-centricity.
The article was adapted from luxe digital.