Only 2/3 of luxury brands have a mobile optimised site

"M-Commerce adoption is nascent in the prestige industry. Only two-thirds of prestige brands maintain a mobile-optimized site, and one-third of these mobile development efforts do not yet support commerce."

Source:  L2Prestige100 Report, January 2012

How digital media & technology is changing retail behaviour

"Across most categories of goods, the majority of respondents reported a preference to purchase items online rather than at a physical outlet. In the UK 74% percent of consumers said they were more likely to buy flights and vacations online (globally 70%), 77% prefer to buy CDs, DVDs, books and video games online (65% globally).
However, the majority of respondents said they prefer to purchase luxury goods in store and four in ten consumers still seem to shun online grocery shopping. These trends are particularly evident in the Americas where more than three quarters of respondents said they would book a flight online, but only 21 percent said they were more likely to buy groceries online.
The survey reveals the extent to which smartphones and tablets are changing shopping behaviour. When shopping at retail outlets, 45% of UK respondents said they now use their mobile devices to locate the nearest store, 32% to research products and services, 30% for online coupons and one in 5 (19%) scan in barcodes to for product information. Globally 41% research products & services and almost a quarter pay with their mobile devices.
When buying products or services the majority of customers in the UK and globally consult feedback and ratings pages on the internet or get information on social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. Monitoring and managing third party information sources will therefore be a key element of any digital sales strategy."

Source:  From KPMG's Consumers & Convergence Report, reported in a press release, 5th December 2011

Methodology:  "Consumers and Convergence V: The Converged Lifestyle [hyperlink], KPMG’s survey of consumer trends in digital technology, communications and e-commerce surveyed 9,600 consumers in 31 countries ranging in age from 16 to over 65."

80% of Americans earning more than $250,000 pa are social media users

"The reasons for going online are, as most other industries already know, compelling. Eighty percent of people with an income of over $250,000 are social media users according to Unity Marketing research, and 50 percent have used social media to learn more about a brand or see new products. Data from small business consulting firm Lex Consulting shows that those earning more than $150,000 are the only people spending more than they did before the recession. And a 2011 Digitas study notes over the next decade digitally entrenched millennials will become the next major luxury buyers—and should therefore be targeted now."
Source:  AdWeek, 12th September 2011
Note - While they don't explicitly say it, I'm assuming that the research quoted is for the US only

Burberry is spending 60% of its marketing budget on digital channels

"Burberry has switched the focus of its marketing away from glossy print advertising in favour of digital investment.
The luxury fashion brand is promoting the launch of its fragrance Burberry Body through Facebook, instead of glossy fashion magazines for the first time, according to the Financial Times.
The brand now spends 60% of its marketing budget on digital channels such as Facebook, which is more than three times the average investment.
The Facebook promotion offers fans of the brand a free sample of the scent, which will be sent to their home address, in return for allowing the brand’s application access to their data on Facebook."

Source:  Marketing Week, 1st September 2011

1 in 5 luxury brands on Facebook don't allow fans to post on their wall

"Facebook recently announced that, as of August this year, all brand Pages will be forced to allow fans to post on their Walls. Several brands, particularly those in the heavily-regulated pharmaceutical industry, prefer not to allow their fans to engage in this manner.
L2's recent study of 100 luxury brands, the "Prestige 100", across auto, beauty, fashion, jewelry, and spirits and Champagnes found that Facebook's decision will be good for brand engagement.
[...]
However, the study findings reveal that one in five of the 100 luxury brands, many of which are world leaders, do not allow fans to post on their Facebook Walls, suggesting the industry continues to treat the social network as a one-way communication channel."
Source:  Research by L2, reported by Biz Report, 7th June 2011