po 2021. “That in-person experience is compelling and I think that it has a lot of value whether in-store or online.” The digital personal stylists assist Saks Fifth Avenue clients on offer recommendations and pull together looks for customers. “These are people you can text or email or chat if you prefer,” Essner continued. “The reality is that some customers really want that personalised one-on-one interaction.” According to Essner, Saks already had plans in motion to enhance the website before the pandemic, so the business was able to relaunch it during the pre-holiday period. Saks.com now focuses on a personalised and easy-to-use customer experience, featuring separate navigation for men and women and allowing customers to filter specific fulfilment options, like same-day delivery and preorder. Essner said the new navigation tab for men was created to help better serve its growing male customer base. “Men’s has become a really strong category for us over the last few years, so we now have a dedicated space for him on our site – content for him, products for him and navigation that makes sense for him,” she explained. “Previously, the men’s category was just one tab on our site. Now it’s a whole space.” Future features on the site will be backed by data and analytics that will help create a more bespoke online experience for customers. “This will actually allow our customers to input exactly what they’re looking for which will then create a dedicated personalised homepage for customers. That’s really new and we’re looking forward to launching that,” Essner said. However, Saks’ physical stores remain an important focus for the brand.  “All our stores are beacons and are often the first place or the really important place where all our customers are experiencing the brand,” Essner explained. “We think it’s very important for our brand to be portrayed consistently.” Saks Fifth Avenue recently completed a $250 million renovation of its flagship store, with 4924sqm of the main floor dedicated to the handbag and accessories department. The second level features the beauty section and on the lower level is the Vault, a high-end jewellery section. Last week, HBC, the owner of Saks Fifth Avenue, announced it will split the luxury department store’s e-commerce business into a separate entity from its physical stores. Venture capital firm Insight Partners has put up $500 million for a minority stake in Saks.com, valuing the business at $2 billion. The high-end department store retailer’s 40 stores will become a separate business known as SFA and will remain wholly owned by HBC.