Dolce & Gabbana introduces virtual shopping format

By

Dominique Muret

Translated by
Nicola Mira

Published
Nov 26, 2020

Dolce & Gabbana is advancing with its digital revolution. Immediately after launching a series of virtual mini-shows, part of its ‘see now buy now’ strategy, the Italian luxury label has presented its Virtual Boutique Experience.

A website featuring a new shopping format, designed to take customers virtually into their favourite D&G boutiques in the four corners of the world, enjoying a purchasing experience similar to the one they would have in physical stores.
 

Dolce & Gabbana launched the Virtual Boutique Experience in September, with its stores in Osaka, Japan, and Chadstone, Australia, as well as the Venice and Rome (Piazza di Spagna) flagships in Italy. It was extended to include Paris a few days ago, with the prestigious store at 3/5 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, home to the label’s men's and women’s ready-to-wear and accessories collections.

Once on virtualboutique.dolcegabbana.com, visitors can click on their destination of choice among those available at the moment - the addresses are not all featured at the same time, but on a rotation basis.

Once inside the store, it is possible to browse around with a 360º perspective. By clicking on the buttons placed on various items, visitors can access product images and details. From there, they are then able to book an appointment with a shop assistant by email, to learn more about the products they are interested in. It is also possible to book a virtual visit accompanied by a real shop assistant, via a phone call or video link.
 
The label’s founders and designers, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, hope to have found a way to beat lockdown thanks to this new shopping solution, which is set to be extended to the label’s other stores worldwide. The idea, as Dolce & Gabbana stated in a press release, is to “give customers the chance to immerse themselves in the label’s world wherever they are and whenever they want, via a virtual 360º tour of some of [Dolce & Gabbana’s] most beautiful stores.”
 
Thanks to digital technology, it is now possible to erase borders, to turn far-off stores that are inaccessible in this pandemic era into neighbourhood ones.

Equally, to preserve the connection between brands and consumers, still one of the best ways of engaging customers. The only drawback is that Dolce & Gabbana’s new shopping formula doesn’t offer the possibility of buying directly from the site, making the whole experience slightly less smooth.