Frette Weaves Tech into Its Fabric with Proximity Partnership

LONDON, UK – March 09, 2026 – Frette, the celebrated Italian house of luxury linens with a 165-year legacy, has announced a global partnership with retail technology firm Proximity. The collaboration will see Frette roll out Proximity's clienteling platform across its international network of boutiques, aiming to fuse its storied tradition of craftsmanship with a sophisticated, data-driven approach to customer service.

The initiative, which began its rollout in January 2026 across stores in the United States, United Kingdom, Italy, and France, is designed to provide Frette’s store associates with a unified, in-depth understanding of their clientele. By consolidating customer information into a single, accessible view, the brand seeks to empower its teams to deliver a more personal and consistent luxury experience.

A New Weave: Blending Heritage with High-Tech Personalization

For a brand like Frette, whose name is synonymous with the linens found in the world's most luxurious hotels, private residences, and royal suites, the adoption of modern retail technology represents a delicate balancing act. The challenge is to innovate without diluting the high-touch, personal service that defines the luxury experience. This partnership signals a strategic decision to use technology not to replace human interaction, but to enhance it.

This move is the latest in Frette's broader digital transformation journey. In recent years, the company has embraced a more digital-first mindset, launching virtual styling studios during the pandemic to maintain personal connections with clients remotely and undertaking a significant modernization of its back-end systems with Microsoft Dynamics 365 to create a seamless omnichannel foundation. The partnership with Proximity is a direct extension of this strategy, bringing cutting-edge tools to the frontline of customer interaction.

Proximity's platform equips Frette's associates with insights into a customer's history with the brand, including purchase frequency, typical spending habits, and product preferences. This allows for more informed and thoughtful conversations, moving beyond a simple transaction to a curated consultation. For example, an associate can anticipate a client's needs for a seasonal refresh or suggest a complementary item based on a past purchase, making the service feel both intuitive and deeply personal.

"The rollout of Proximity is an important milestone for our global retail network," stated Cristiano Quieti, Group Chief Merchandising & Marketing Officer at Frette. "By enhancing our clienteling capabilities, we are further elevating the personalized service our clients expect, enabling more seamless and meaningful interactions both in-store and online."

The Engine of Experience: Why Clienteling is Redefining Luxury

The move by Frette reflects a powerful current sweeping through the entire luxury retail sector. In an era of waning brand loyalty, where affluent consumers—especially digitally native Millennials and Gen Z—crave authenticity and recognition, the quality of the customer relationship has become a primary competitive differentiator.

Clienteling, the practice of using customer data to build personal relationships, has emerged as a critical tool in this new landscape. Industry analysis underscores its impact; reports from firms like McKinsey suggest that effective personalization can boost sales by 10-15% for luxury brands. Furthermore, data shows that a personalized experience makes consumers significantly more likely to spend more, with some retailers seeing the average basket value increase by 30% to 50% when a visit is transformed into a tailored styling session.

The ultimate prize is loyalty. With studies indicating that a mere 5% increase in customer retention can boost profits by anywhere from 25% to 95%, the business case is clear. Clienteling fosters the deep, trust-based relationships that encourage repeat business. It allows brands to celebrate milestones with their clients, offer exclusive access, and provide a level of recognition that makes customers feel valued beyond their transactional worth.

Powering Global Luxury: Proximity's Strategic Advance

For Proximity, securing a partnership with a globally respected heritage brand like Frette is a significant validation of its specialized approach. While the retail CRM market includes giants like Salesforce and Oracle, Proximity has carved out a niche by building a platform specifically for the unique demands of premium and luxury retail.

The platform's design emphasizes simplicity and effectiveness for the store associate, integrating customer data, appointment scheduling, event management, and communications into one intuitive tool. Crucially, it is built to support a global footprint, enabling a brand like Frette to deliver a consistent standard of service across different countries while still allowing for the flexibility to meet local market needs.

"At Proximity, we believe the best customer experiences are built on understanding," said Cathy McCabe, CEO & Co-Founder of Proximity. "Working with Frette allows us to support their store teams with a clearer view of each customer, helping them deliver thoughtful, consistent service and build long-lasting relationships."

This partnership illustrates the growing symbiosis between heritage luxury and specialized technology. As Frette continues to weave its future, it is clear that data and digital tools are becoming as essential as the finest threads, not to replace the brand's artistry, but to ensure its legacy of exceptional, personalized service continues to resonate with a new generation of luxury consumers.