The devil sells Prada: rude staff boost sales

According to Canadian research, snobby salespeople make customers more likely to buy their luxury goods

BY Sarah Royce-Greensill | 01 May 2014

Photo: Moviestore collection / Rex

Call it the Pretty Woman effect: rude, disparaging and snooty sales staff of the type encountered by Julia Roberts' call-girl character in the 1990 film, actually make us want to buy more - but only if they're peddling high-end wares.

That's the conclusion of a new study entitled 'Should the Devil Sell Prada? Retail Rejection Increases Aspiring Consumers' Desire for the Brand', due to be published in the October issue of the Journal of Consumer Research.

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Researchers at the University of British Columbia asked volunteers to imagine they were shopping at either designer or high street stores, where the sales staff (played by actors) were either welcoming or snooty.

Those who encountered the rude staff later said that they wanted the designer goods more, with those who aspired to own luxury goods especially influenced by salespeople's mean demeanour. There was no such effect for more downmarket brands like H&M or Gap. "This only worked for brands and stores that customers would aspire to, truly luxury brands like Burberry or Gucci," said Professor Darren Dahl, a marketing expert who led the research.

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Dahl put the findings down to customers' desire to fit in and be accepted by these aspirational brands. "It appears that snobbiness might actually be a qualification worth considering for luxury brands like Louis Vuitton or Gucci," he explained. "Our research indicates they can end up having a similar effect to an 'in-group' in high school that others aspire to join. The desire 'to belong'…is a powerful force."

For luxury labels, it appears that treat 'em mean, keep 'em keen really does ring true.