Have the expectations and values of luxury customers changed in recent years?
Do these young customers have a different relationship with luxury to that of their parents?
Anne Beck. – “You can sense a real maturity in their approach to shopping. They prefer to invest once in a timeless, high-quality piece rather than buying something on impulse every season. What’s also touching is that they often arrive having already formed a connection: they know Molitor through their parents or grandparents. And when you realise that it’s the third generation coming to see the third generation, something special is created. In a way, we’re all in the same boat, carried along by a shared memory and history.
In 2009, Jacques Séguéla declared: “If you don’t have a Rolex by the age of 50, you’ve still failed in life.” Do you still come across this view of luxury as a marker of social success?
F.B. – “Yes, and that’s perfectly legitimate. Commemorating an achievement with a beautiful object is a way of asserting who you are. But what our customers appreciate just as much as the piece itself is the way we welcome them: being recognised, feeling respected, important… The welcome is also a luxury.
A.B. – “On the other hand, there is a clientele who are looking for exactly the opposite: luxury without ostentation. What I call ‘quiet luxury’. What matters is the quality of the piece, not how it appears.
The people of Luxembourg attach great importance to the art of hospitality. It is a more intimate form of luxury, centred on the home and on sharing with loved ones, rather than on putting on a show.
Is there a distinctly Luxembourgish way of enjoying luxury?
F.B. – “Luxury in Luxembourg is, above all, understated. Here, people invest in pieces that have meaning, that tell a story and that are meant to be passed down through the generations.
A.B. – “Luxembourgers also attach great importance to the art of hospitality. They enjoy taking care of their homes, creating a cosy atmosphere and marking special occasions (Easter, Christmas, family meals, etc.). It is a more intimate form of luxury, centred on the home and sharing with loved ones, rather than on showing off.
Faced with major international fashion houses, does an independent boutique like Molitor still have a role to play?
F.B. – “Definitely yes. A boutique on a human scale can anchor luxury within a region, its traditions and its values. Flagship stores, on the other hand, convey the identity of a single brand and that brand alone. It is a globalised, standardised form of luxury, where the experience is the same everywhere. But luxury isn’t just about the brand. Local retailers forge a personal, individual connection between the product and the customer. Even if the watches are made in Switzerland, it’s up to us to bring this world to life here, with a genuine sense of closeness and a human touch.
A.B. – “There is, of course, a clientele for the big high-street chains, and that’s perfectly legitimate. But others come to us for something different: a focus on who they are, what they’re going through, and what they’re really looking for. In jewellery in particular, we help mark the major milestones in a person’s life. That’s no small thing.
What is the customer welcome process like at Molitor?
F.B. – “Here, customers know they can ask for anything. A particular piece, a bracelet in a colour you can’t find anywhere else, a very specific request… We never say no straight away. We look into it, we contact the brands, we explore the possibilities.
That’s the great thing about working with several brands rather than a fixed collection: it gives us much greater freedom to meet everyone’s expectations. Our role isn’t simply to sell an item, but to find the piece that truly suits the person walking through the shop door.
Do you have any idea what proportion of customers come to us for bespoke services, at a time when hyper-personalisation is becoming a key focus in the luxury sector?
F.B. – “It’s impossible to give an exact figure, but it’s certainly a growing segment. And this trend is even more pronounced in jewellery than in watchmaking: the collections are less standardised, and the scope for personalisation is much greater.
Is your clientele mainly from Luxembourg, or do you also attract cross-border workers and expatriates?
A.B. – “Both. Expatriates often find us online; they spot the brands we stock and pop in. The challenge is to turn that first visit into customer loyalty, and that loyalty into word-of-mouth recommendations. Among Luxembourgers, Molitor is already a real institution. And the fact that we hold exclusive rights to certain brands further strengthens this bond: when people are looking for these brands in Luxembourg, they inevitably end up visiting us.
Any examples of these exclusive offers?
F.B. – “In watchmaking, Jaeger-LeCoultre; in jewellery, Roberto Coin.
A watch costing five figures, a piece of jewellery that’s exorbitantly priced – how can such prices be explained, or even justified?
F.B. – “Because of what lies behind the piece. The number of hands that have worked on it, the hours invested, and above all the rarity of craftsmen who still master these techniques. All of this comes at a cost, and it is very real. Watchmaking and jewellery-making remain deeply artisanal trades, the polar opposite of mass production. The quality of the materials also plays a part. And then, unlike a car, which loses value from the very first kilometre, a fine watch retains its value – or even increases in value. For many of our customers, it is also an investment.
The product is what initiates the relationship; the service, on the other hand, is what sustains it.
Does customer service end at the shop door?
A.B. – “Not at all. After-sales service, our watchmaking workshop and events are all different ways of bringing the brand to life.
You mention events – what sort of events do you have in mind?
A.B. – “We love building bridges between different worlds. Bringing together a winemaker, a local artisan and our own world to create experiences that are more sensory and more vibrant. The idea is to take the object out of its display case and break away from the image of luxury as something static or intimidating. In the world of fine dining, this can take the form of tastings organised around the wine glasses we supply. The aim is to create genuine occasions – authentic and original experiences that make people want to come back.”
You’ve inherited a house with a rich history – what would you like to bring to it, from your own perspective?
F.B. – “The priority is digital – a website that really showcases our collections online. The product is still what initiates the relationship; the service is what keeps it going. But today, a significant part of the shopping journey begins online: people explore, visualise what they might buy, make up their minds and then come into the shop. In our grandfather’s day, this digital shop window didn’t exist. Today, it’s indispensable.”
This article was written for the Customer Experience supplement of Paperjam magazine’s June 2026 issue, published on 17 June 2026. The content is produced exclusively for the magazine. It is published on the website to contribute to Paperjam’s comprehensive archive. Click on this link to subscribe to the magazine.
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