The FINANCIAL -- "In-Store Customer Experiences," the latest WealthSurvey from the objective and independent Luxury Institute, analyzes 240 visits to luxury retail stores in Manhattan by 78 students in Prof. Veronica Manlow's Fashion Marketing and Research Methods class at Brooklyn College, according to press-release distributed by Marketwire.

The top three factors that shoppers consider before recommending a brand are merchandise, service and store atmosphere. Two standouts across several criteria are British fashion house Burberry and French luxury outfit Louis Vuitton, with 77% of shoppers saying they would recommend Burberry to family and close friends, and 74% saying the same about Louis Vuitton.

Polite, informed, articulate and appropriately dressed personnel lead to better experiences, as does the ability to put customers at ease while browsing the store. Mystery shoppers report that on 94% of Burberry visits the staff made them feel comfortable; Vuitton did the same 76% of the time.

Making customers feel special can also boost sales. "My salesperson made me feel important to the point that I ended up purchasing a pocketbook," says one Louis Vuitton customer. Burberry and Vuitton top the rankings for making customers feel special, doing it on 52% and 42% of visits, respectively.

"Stores are the front lines of luxury retail and this is where luxury brands can do some of the greatest good or ill for their reputations," says Milton Pedraza, CEO of the Luxury Institute. "Putting polite, informed and well-groomed sales personnel on the floor is just the start, but done well it can be a true differentiator."

Related Stories

• Seattle’s Best Coffee Survey Reveals Sharing Coffee Leads to a Better Relationship
• Jordan Brand Introduces All-Star Inspired Signature Shoes
• FedEx CVP of Tax Michael Fryt Advocates for Tax Reform on Capitol Hill