Interesting development at LVMH

http://www.wsj.com/articles/lvmh-ap...an-rogers-as-chief-digital-officer-1441108886

Apple Executive Ian Rogers Is Heading to LVMH
ENLARGE
Ian Rogers will lead LVMH’s expansion of its online retail presence. Photo: Matt Sayles/Invision/Associated Press

By
Jason Chow And
Sam Schechner
Updated Sept. 1, 2015 1:33 p.m. ET
PARIS—After losing several top executives to Apple Inc., the luxury industry has poached one back.

LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton said Tuesday it has recruited Ian Rogers, creator of Apple’s online radio station Beats 1, to serve as its chief digital officer and lead the French luxury group’s expansion of its online retail presence.

“Ian will bring his extensive experience in high-end digital ventures and his innovation-driven spirit to develop LVMH leadership in the digital luxury field,” said Bernard Arnault, the luxury conglomerate’s chairman and chief executive.

Mr. Rogers’s move to the luxury world comes after several executives have left high-end fashion for the Cupertino, Calif., maker of the iPhone. Angela Ahrendts, Apple’s senior vice president of retail and online sales, was one of the tech company’s most notable recent hires, plucked from Burberry in 2014 after an eight-year stint as the brand’s chief executive.

Apple also counts in its executive ranks former employees of fashion brand Yves Saint Laurent, watchmaker Tag Heuer and other luxury brand names.

Hiring Mr. Rogers signals a deeper shift by LVMH into digital sales at a time when the industry is grappling with a slowdown in China and other key growth markets. Mr. Arnault said the former Apple executive would take LVMH brands “to the next level and explore new opportunities for the group in the digital sphere.”......

 

Interesting move, TAG Heuer is almost unique among the major Swiss brands for actually selling its watches online through a real online store and putting actual prices next to models instead of leaving customers to guess, its certainly not a bad idea and I'd like to see it spread.

 

Thanks for the post David. I had seen his departure from Apple, but didn't know he did it for LVMH. This suggests big plans. Pretty encouraging news I'd say.

 

Would be cool to be able to order stuff like spare links, nato straps, leather straps, springbars, all the stuff that usually takes a long time to get through the AD that isn't really expensive would be handy to have available.