The Art of Slowing Down

137: From Cartier to Cucinelli to Vuitton: What Luxury Retail Gets Right & Wrong (Transcript)

In this exclusive conversation, I speak with a former Louis Vuitton Sales Associate who also held roles at Cartier and Brunello Cucinelli among others. We cover service standards across luxury retail, why younger sales associates struggle despite formal training, and the transactional shift at Louis Vuitton compared to more hospitality-driven brands like Van Cleef or Goyard. The former SA explains how LV customers still convert, whether for keychains or perfume, but the selling environment has grown impersonal. We also discuss commission structure, the role of personal relationships in repeat sales, and how RTW collections are selling due to limited inventory. Additional topics include quotas, client strategies, and a brief but telling comment on internal fraud and money laundering red flags.

This transcript is part of a growing series of expert calls typically reserved for institutional investors who pay 1.200€ /hr. Paid subscribers gain access to full interviews like this one each month.