Online customer engagement in the post-pandemic scenario: a hybrid thematic analysis of the luxury fashion industry

The COVID-19 pandemic had a strong impact on all businesses, and especially the luxury sector. As an adaptation strategy, businesses are engaging in a digital transformation, moving all or most of their activities to online platforms. However, the nature of the luxury industry, deeply rooted in exclusivity and a high degree of human contact, is at odds with the mass-oriented, accessible, and automated nature of e-commerce, thus raising concerns about this industry’s ability to reap the benefits of digital transformation. The present paper elucidates how luxury fashion firms can overcome this apparent incompatibility with e-commerce and engage with their customers successfully. Through hybrid thematic analysis of qualitative data from YouTube videos of 96 luxury fashion industry experts and using a conceptual model of Customer Engagement, recommendations were developed to help luxury firms improve their current and prospective online customer engagement efforts systematically. By highlighting their top priorities–including innovative solutions, era adaptation, and resource allocation–, luxury firms could enhance and manage customer activities more effectively in the context of a digital transformation, and ultimately establish a strong post-pandemic position.