Your Very Own Longchamp

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You want to have your very own Longchamp Le Pliage bag but you see so many of those already. If you want to differentiate there is only one way to do it!!! Make your own Longchamp Le Pliage bag in the official Longchamp’s website.

Brand’s History

Longchamp has a long and rich history dating back to 1948, when it was founded by Jean Cassegrain. This brand ranks as one of the leading brand names of French leather goods. While their totes and handbags are very popular now, they started as a small leather goods company and eventually grew into a bag fashion empire.

Their website offers an extensive range of different products – from small leather goods to luxurious leather bags. They have products for both men and women, and there is a wide range of shoes, bags and other accessories from the classics to their newest collections. However, not all of their products can be customized. The Longchamp’s Le Pliage collection is one of their most popular releases and the only bags that can be customized till now.

In the website, consumers can choose their preferred color and design in all the sub-categories of Le Pliage’s collection (Leather, Nylon, Limited Editions, 2014 Collection). In the customized Le Pliage, customers have the chance to choose their own model between six different bags and sizes.

Steps to Custom Le Pliage

The Longchamp’s mass customization process is done in an easy 4-step procedure that anyone can do without requiring additional knowledge of fashion designing (Randall et al. (2005)). Their trouble-free design application makes customization very easy and enjoyable.

They can decide on the handles,
The main color of the bag,
The color of the stripe,
And the hardware.

If they want something even more qualified for their tastes, they can even order to emboss or embroider their own signature (name, initials or a phrase).

The prices for custom Le Pliage are very reasonable compared to other designer bags, but still consumers need to pay a premium if they want to differentiate. Self-designed products generate significantly higher willingness to pay for their customers since economic value is created for the consumer because these mass customization toolkits elicit “I designed it myself” feelings (“The ‘I designed myself effect’ in Mass Customization” (2010), Franke, Schreier & Kaiser, Management Science).

All in all, Longchamp is trying to gain and seek to encourage customer participation. Influenced by the articles of Randall et al. (2005) and of Goldstein et al. HBR (2008), Longchamp is providing its customers with starting points and steps in order to create their own bag. Longchamp offers to its customers the default option of Le Pliage collection and from that point customers can choose which model they want, and decide on the colors and materials. In this way Longchamp invests on the interaction between its customers and its brand, and how developing a new product can help customers understand the value that is created and shared.

So start customizing your own bag!!!

http://nl.longchamp.com/