Luxury Institute Survey: High Net-Worth Consumers Rank "Best of the Best" Luxury Retailer Customer Experience


NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - July 16, 2009) - The Luxury Institute reported the top-rated luxury retailer brands in the 2009 Luxury Customer Experience Index (LCEI) survey, which identifies the top brands that deliver true luxury customer experiences in numerous categories based solely on the independently verified ratings of wealthy and ultra-wealthy consumers.

High net-worth consumers who have been customers of the brand during the past 12 months rated Nordstrom the "Best of the Best" among eight major luxury retailers. Those who recommend Nordstrom say:

--  "I like Nordstrom because they have the best shoe collection I have
    ever seen. They are so well organized and fairly priced. If I could, I
    would buy everything from there."
    
--  "Everyone in the store is committed to helping you, even if it is not
    in their direct department. Selection is great and quality is never an
    issue. If you have a problem, they take it back, no question."
    
--  "Their salespeople are really helpful and knowledgeable. I am buying
    their expertise more than anything else when I shop there."
    

The LCEI asks high net-worth customers to rate luxury brands by category across three equally weighted and detailed rating components: Complete Satisfaction, Brand Personnel and Store Environment. The survey also measures Problems and Resolutions, Worthiness of a Significant Price Premium and Willingness to Recommend on the Part of Wealthy Customers.

The "Best of the Best" Luxury Retailers are: (LCEI score out of 10)

--  Nordstrom - 8.31
--  Neiman Marcus - 7.78
--  Brooks Brothers - 7.76
    

"Perhaps it is no accident that Nordstrom sales continue to outperform its competition in a bruised economic climate, since the brand is an example of a customer-adaptive 21st Century Luxury Enterprise," says Milton Pedraza, CEO of the Luxury Institute. "Luxury retail clients tell us they look for expertise and trust along with lasting value when they shop luxury, and Nordstrom delivers that even in a down economy. As the luxury retail industry finally sheds its Industrial Age skin and adopts organic, customer-adaptive principles, we predict innovations from luxury leaders such as Independent Customer Advocates sitting on Boards of Directors, Customer Segment Managers running the business, and Customer Retention, Customer Referral and Customer Profitability metrics taking their place as the most critical metrics for the business."

The proprietary Luxury Customer Experience Index (LCEI) survey is the only unbiased measure of true customer experiences of leading brands among wealthy and ultra-wealthy Americans. A national sample of 1,505 wealthy consumers was surveyed online. Respondents have an average weighted gross annual household income of $325,000 and an average weighted net-worth of $3.2 million. Survey results are weighted to match demographic and net-worth profiles of the same audience according to the latest Survey of Consumer Finances from The Federal Reserve.

About the Luxury Institute (www.LuxuryInstitute.com)

The Luxury Institute is the uniquely independent and impartial ratings and research institution that is the trusted and respected voice of the high net-worth consumer. The Institute provides a portfolio of proprietary publications and research and consulting services that guides and educates high net-worth individuals and the companies that cater to them on leading edge trends, high net-worth consumer rankings and ratings of luxury brands, and best practices. The Luxury Institute also operates the LuxuryBoard.com (www.LuxuryBoard.com), the world's first global, membership-based online community for luxury goods and services executives, professionals and entrepreneurs.

Contact Information: For Further Information, Please Contact: Evins Communications, Ltd. Dotty J. Giordano Director Enid Lewin Vice President Phone: (212) 688-8200 E-mail: dotty.giordano@evins.com E-mail: enid.lewin@evins.com The Luxury Institute, LLC Martin Swanson Business Development Phone: (914) 909-6350 E-mail: mswanson@luxuryinstitute.com