Luxury automakers are enhancing customer service and integrating more sustainable technology into vehicles as they look to appeal to drivers’ changing attitudes amid economic uncertainty.

The rise of the digital economy simultaneously poses the biggest challenge and growth opportunity to the luxury business, according to the newly released “State of Luxury 2018: The Insider View” report from Luxury Daily and Unity Marketing that surveyed 599 decision-making luxury industry insiders. More details in article on how to buy or get the report free with a new annual subscription.

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Luxury Daily’s live news from Dec. 17 – Fragrance sector sees gifting turnaround in 2018; Cunard honors WWII heroes with onboard discussions; Longines designs special edition for DFS Group; Gucci, looking to long view, formally unveils training program for knowledge transfer; Christie’s online participation continues to grow with record auction; Saks to close downtown New York store as digital shopping behavior entrenches.

Today in luxury – LVMH opens applications for sixth edition of LVMH prize; In Paris, ‘Yellow Vest’ protests cut sharply into city’s luxury trade; Millennial consumers rule the luxury market – how are brands coping; Mercedes, Tesla lowering prices in China amid easing tariff tensions.

According to recently compiled data, acquiring a new customer is five times more expensive than retaining an existing customer. Yet, 44 percent of companies admit they “have a greater focus” on acquisition, while a mere 18 percent focus on retention.

Luxury Daily’s live news from Dec. 17 – Fragrance sector sees gifting turnaround in 2018; Cunard honors WWII heroes with onboard discussions; Longines designs special edition for DFS Group; Gucci, looking to long view, formally unveils training program for knowledge transfer; Christie’s online participation continues to grow with record auction; Saks to close downtown New York store as digital shopping behavior entrenches.

The closure of another Saks store is a continuing sign that digital commerce rampages on to devour offline retail.

Auction house Christie’s has seen its online auctions grow, with its latest having sold its highest number of watches in a digital auction.

École de l’Amour is part of Gucci Equilibrium, a platform that supports Gucci’s 10-year Culture of Purpose sustainability and social responsibility program based on environment, people and new models.

Swiss watchmaker Longines is highlighting its 50-year relationship with duty-free retailer DFS with a commemorative timepiece.

Luxury cruise line Cunard is commemorating the 75th anniversary of D-Day with an immersive onboard experience that focuses on World War II.

Sales of prestige fragrances are expected to continue their upward trajectory this holiday season, following growth during other major gifting periods of 2018.

France’s Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Hermès have ranked as the country’s most valuable brands, leading Kantar Millward Brown’s luxury-dominated BrandZ list of the top 50 labels in the nation.

Boston Consulting Group is Luxury Daily’s 2018 Researcher of the Year, selected for its innovation and ability to pinpoint new, unique trends, spanning numerous sectors.

Book your spot now at Luxury FirstLook 2019, an industry-outlook event Jan. 16 as digital change sweeps over luxury. How to shape your strategy and tactics in 2019? On hand to help are 30-plus speakers from Facebook, Google, Boston Consulting Group, LVMH’s Moët Hennessy, Lladro, Hearst’s Town & Country magazine, Artsy, Forrester, Rémy Martin’s Louis XIII, McLaren Automotive, Valmont, Quintessentially, Flont, Armarium, Perrin Paris, L.K.Bennett, Publicis Groupe’s Team One, Douglas Elliman, Vibes, Martini, Luxury Portfolio, Concierge Auctions, Euromonitor and the Luxury Institute, among others.

French perfumer Guerlain is tapping into the strong relationship between scent and memory with a new application that hopes to convey emotion through audio.

Now that millennials have reached an age where home buying is becoming a reality, luxury real estate has seen significant shifts in trends and market growth.