Omega’s own ecommerce operations have been a great success in the United States, where it launched at the beginning of 2018, and in the UK, which got its own site in April this year.
However, the company’s chief executive Raynald Aeschlimann told WatchPro at a London press conference yesterday that there is no plan to compete with or replace its best retail partners with direct to consumer selling online or through its own brick and mortar boutiques.
“We have been very clear and transparent about this. There has never been any attempt to work against our exclusive distribution where we have great partners,” Mr Aeschlimann states.
The roll out of Omega ecommerce sites will continue, but the timing will depend on the attitude towards online shopping in different markets and the quality of the watchmaker’s authorised dealers. “It is really about the culture of the people. In some countries people are very connected and tuned into this [shopping online]. It also depends on distribution, and the quality of distribution,” Mr Aeschlimann describes.
“I have discovered that in countries where buying online is very well respected, and not just another way of selling watches, they I will always agree we could go that direction. For me ecommerce is like opening a boutique. It is about having an opportunity for some people to buy whenever they want. In the UK, like in the United States, there is a will and a willingness to do that,” he adds.
