This thesis examined where human interaction between a brand and the customer matters along the customer journey for personal luxury goods in Switzerland, focusing on Generation Y and Generation Z. In a market shaped by rapid digitalization, managers need stage-specific evidence on when human touch adds value and how technology should support it. The thesis focused on awareness, consideration, and purchase and includes leather goods, watches, jewelry, cosmetics, and perfumes and addresses a clear gap in stage-level insights for luxury retail. The objective was to determine the role of human interaction with the brand across these stages and to translate the results into recommendations. The study analyzed how human interaction influences brand awareness, how human interaction affects the consideration stage, and what role human interaction plays during the purchase phase. It also investigated in what ways price and human interaction shape the choice between online and instore channels and how consumers envision the future role of human interaction as digital technologies such as artificial intelligence become more prevalent. A quantitative, cross-sectional online survey was conducted to answer the research questions, and 212 fully completed responses from residents of Switzerland remained and formed the analytical sample. Questions were grouped by journey stage to create comparable stage scores. Descriptive statistics and correlation analyses were performed to explore stage-specific patterns and relationships. Findings indicate that first awareness is often triggered by other people in a consumer’s circle and by brand social media. Advisor-initiated contact plays a reinforcing rather than primary role at this stage. During consideration, physically evaluating the product in a boutique is the leading driver, and consultation with brand staff complements this hands-on assessment by clarifying things like fit and features. At the time of purchase, human interaction is most influential in-store, as personal consultation helps confirm the decision; in contrast, many online purchases are completed without direct human assistance. Rising price levels make customers more likely to switch from an online path to a boutique; mainly, product assurance and staff interaction support that switch but do not by themselves determine the price point at which it occurs. Looking ahead, consumers favor hybrid service models in which technology prepares the interaction and humans provide judgment and trust, especially for high-value decisions. The results show that companies should ensure human presence, especially during consideration and purchase, and should steer as much final conversion as feasible into physical stores while using digital tools to set up those moments rather than replacing human interaction. Overall, the study’s insights provide a stage-based management lens for resource allocation across the first part of the customer journey.
Luana Sarah Gyger (Thu,) studied this question.
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