Managing heritage brands: A study of the sacralization of heritage stores in the luxury industry

We investigate the concept of the heritage store, that is, the locations that lies at the heart of a brand's identity and history. Based on store observations and interviews with managers and sales personnel in the luxury industry, we analyze the characteristics of heritage stores and their role in the management of heritage brands. We show how managers sacralize a store's heritage to nurture the value proposition of the brand. Our analysis yields new insights into retailing, introducing the concept of the heritage store and emphasizing its sacralizalization. We outline the implications for retail marketing in developing and maintaining the sacralization of heritage stores. & 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Gray walls, Louis XVI armchairs and Haussmannian moldings... In the heart of Shanghai, the magic of 30 Avenue Montaigne was there to greet the silhouettes of Raf Simons’ springsummer haute couture designs for Dior.” As described in the opening quote, the store of Dior on the Avenue Montaigne in Paris features several iconic elements that are reproduced in commercials, retail outlets, and fashion shows. The Dior store on the Avenue Montaigne in Paris features several iconic elements that are reproduced in commercials, retail outlets, and fashion shows. In the vein of literature on heritage brands (Urde et al., 2007), we refer to this kind of location as a heritage store, that is, a location that lies at the heart of a brand’s identity and history. We argue that heritage stores are key in the management of heritage brands. Heritage brands emphasize their history as a key component of their brand identity. They are not brands with a heritage but “heritage brands,” heritage being part of a brand's value proposition and identity (Urde et al., 2007). From this perspective, heritage brands nurture, maintain, and protect their heritage to generate stronger corporate marketing (Urde et al., 2007; Fionda and Moore, 2009). In this article we explore the characteristics of heritage stores and their role in the management of heritage brands. Our empirical setting is the luxury industry. Drawing on interviews with professionals and observations conducted online and in stores, we analyze the characteristics of heritage stores and their role in the management of heritage brands. We show how managers sacralize store heritage to nurture the value proposition of the brand. Similarly to sacralization in a religious context, the sacralization of heritage brands is institutionalized through a set of mythical narratives, ritual practices, and symbolic boundaries (Wunenburger, 1981). This study contributes to the literature on heritage brands by introducing the concept of the heritage store and analyzing how companies sacralize these stores to nurture their heritage. We also outline the implications for retail marketing in developing and maintaining the sacralization of heritage stores. 1. Theoretical background To begin to study the management of heritage stores, we present our understanding of key constructs, e.g. heritage brand and sacralization. 1.1. Heritage brands Aaker (1996) mentioned heritage as a component of brand equity but the concept has been developed more recently and now constitutes a distinct conceptual category (Hudson, 2013). Heritage brands make their heritage part of a brand's value proposition and identity (Clais, 2002; Dion and de Boissieu, 2013; Urde et al., 2007). Their heritage holds value for the customer and other stakeholders, distinguishes the brand, is difficult for competitors to imitate, and