LVMH teams up with SKEMA to strengthen luxury retail education

French luxury conglomerate LVMH is partnering with SKEMA (School of Knowledge Economy and Management) to create a new luxury retail course to be taught in the international business school’s new campus in Dubai to develop “top-tier talent for the luxury industry”.

The strategic alliance aims to shape future luxury leaders with the creation of an MSc (Master of Science) qualification in global luxury and management, offering two distinct pathways tailored to the luxury retail industry to act as a launchpad for global careers in luxury.

The ‘Retail Excellence and Client Relationship Management’ course, starting this September in Dubai, will be taught entirely in English and has been developed with LVMH. The new course will immerse students in the heart of one of the world’s most dynamic luxury markets with a curriculum focused on client engagement, sales excellence, merchandising and brand activation, UX design, and the use of artificial intelligence in customer experience.

LVMH creates strategic alliance with SKEMA to “shape future luxury leaders”

The one-year course aims to offer students expertise in luxury retail and client relationship management for high-potential markets, such as the Middle East, Africa, and India, explains SKEMA.

Students will attend panel discussions to learn from industry leaders and visit LVMH’s flagship stores in Dubai to gain first-hand insights into luxury retail operations.

Alongside SKEMA’s core courses, students will also follow a bespoke training programme co-designed with LVMH, including a four-to-eight-month internship to gain practical experience in the luxury sector. On completion, they will earn an exclusive Retail Excellence & Client Relationship Management certificate from LVMH.

Pierre-Julien Bousquet, global vice president of talent engagement at LVMH, said in a statement: “With SKEMA, LVMH reaffirms its commitment to luxury retail and shaping the talents of tomorrow through a training programme rooted in excellence.

“This partnership reflects our dedication to supporting the next generation and passing on the unique expertise that defines our Maison.”

The new course sits alongside SKEMA’s Luxury Digital Marketing and Strategy programme, which it has offered since 2021 in partnership with the NYU School of Professional Studies. This course combines a semester in New York with a second in Paris, awarding a Graduate Certificate from NYU in addition to SKEMA’s degree.

Alice Guilhon and Emmanuelle Rigaud, directors of the MSc in Global Luxury and Management, added: “Dubai provides an ideal environment to anticipate trends and meet the demands of a rapidly growing market. In this context, SKEMA and LVMH are creating an innovative programme that will develop true experts in client relationship management and retail, an area of high demand.”

SKEMA launches Retail Excellence and Client Relationship Management course with LVMH

On why the course is being positioned in Dubai, SKEMA states it is a “luxury capital on the rise,” which is backed up by the fact that Dubai accounts for 30 percent of luxury sales in the Middle East, positioning it as a key market for high-end retail and innovation. Research by Mordor Intelligence also adds that the UAE luxury market is expected to reach 5.39 billion US dollars by 2029.

This growth is being driven by the fact that half of the Gulf’s population is under 30. By 2025, Millennials and Gen Z will represent more than 40 percent of luxury consumers in the region, and brands need to adapt their marketing and recruitment strategies to attract this connected, experience-driven audience. SKEMA adds that courses such as the one it is developing with LVMH is “building the talent to lead this change”.