It appears that luxury brands are finally realising that online is a channel that cannot be ignored as Cartier has made the move to trade on Selfridges’ website.

Selfridges is the first department store on which Cartier has traded online and the launch is seen as a pre-cursor to other ‘ultra-luxury’ brands trading on its website.

Upmarket brands have been reluctant to adopt ecommerce fearing the environment luxury shoppers receive in store cannot be replicated online. This not only applies to department stores like Selfridges but also to their own website.

Visit Chanel.com or Dior.com you’ll find reels of runway show footage but if you actually want to buy any of the wares on display, you’re forced to visit a boutique

Of course, protecting the brand they have spent millions cultivating is a perfectly rational move, but is cutting out a sales route its customers are eager to use the right way to do so?

Shoppers across the board, including those with several thousand to spend on a handbag, are choosing online as a convenient and pleasurable way to shop – the continued growth of Net-a-Porter serves as evidence.

Burberry has also proven how successful online can be for luxury retailers. Former chief executive Angela Ahrendts believed that “you have to be totally connected with everyone who touches your brand” and its website Burberry World is how it engages with consumers and even wins new fans. In fact, rather than online replicating its store experience, in its Regent Street flagship, Burberry has vied to make the store as immersive as its website.

Its focus on online has paid off. Ecommerce was a key driver of Burberry’s growth in its most recent half as weak footfall in store was offset by online traffic and conversion growing.

By ignoring online, high-end brands are at risk of losing potential custom and becoming outdated to the modern luxury shopper.