One of these groups was frequent flyers, but who were not members of their loyalty programme, Emirates Skywards. Initially, it was assumed that what passengers wanted was better food, extra legroom and faster boarding. However, after many focus groups and a great deal of research, it emerged that what they really wanted was to be seen.
A scarce resource
It’s easy to dismiss this as a concern of the privileged, but the truth might well be the opposite: the luxury of being recognised isn’t about money or status – it’s about attention. And that is becoming an increasingly scarce resource in today’s society
Real human interactions
This insight shakes the fashion industry to its core. What is it that our customers truly long for today? It’s actually something very similar to what Emirates discovered: the experience of encountering someone who truly sees them. A real person who recognises them, knows which brands she likes, what sizes she usually wears, and who may even remember that she attended a wedding in March and has a cabin in the mountains.
-No matter how much effort is put into tailoring the digital customer experience, it will never replace real human interactions.
Physical stores triumph
If this is the new luxury, physical stores score a decisive win over digital algorithms. That’s because no matter how much effort goes into customising the digital customer experience, it will never replace real human interactions.
It’s tempting to say that we in Texcon have an advantage in that respect, because we know our customers. That stems from something as simple – and as powerful – as local ownership and local retailing.
People want to shop locally
We are retailers who adapt to the competition in the local area, and who also know what is – and isn’t – available in Gol, Haugesund and Sandvika Storsenter.
Our stores are owned and run by people who live in the same communities as their customers, who may well meet them at handball tournament or stand alongside them when celebrating Norway’s National Day. They attend the same summer parties and the same confirmation ceremonies. We don’t just understand what our customers need – we understand why they need it. And that understanding is the very foundation of the trust we build every single day in our stores.
Digital transformation
Texcon’s stores have gone through a remarkable digital transformation in the past few years. When I started, only a few stores had websites and very few were active on social media. Many now have successful online stores, most are active on Instagram and Facebook, some use Snapchat and TikTok, several are engaged in livestream shopping, and many have excellent customer loyalty programmes.
That’s impressive, but what impresses me most is that we haven’t lost the personal touch and human connection.
-No one in the industry knows their customers better than we do at Texcon.
The largest in Norway
I believe that this is our formula for success: no one in the industry knows their customers better than we do at Texcon. According to Virke, Texcon surpassed H&M in 2024. In just six years, we have increased our market share from 6.5 to 10.5 per cent. We are now the largest in Norway. In an era when everyone – including Texcon – is chasing technological solutions and efficiency, we have managed to hold on to what matters the most: people.
No central control
At Texcon, we don’t have a large head office. We don’t have a dedicated marketing department that posts content and campaigns on behalf of our stores. We are only five employees and none of us dictate how the stores should be run. Decisions are made where they belong – in the stores, close to our customers.
It is the collective wisdom, experience and judgement of our members that makes Texcon grow stronger each year. And what we do better than anyone else is recognising people, talking to them and being present, because that’s what creates true loyalty. And that – that is the new luxury.
