Inside the Louis Vuitton boutique in the upmarket Roppongi Hills, shop assistant Takashi Hara and his colleagues make arrangements to send birthday cakes to their regular clients.

Sometimes, they even show the customers a "secret" bag that is not advertised or displayed in the shop – just for that extra touch of exclusivity.

These days, "personal extras" such as those deployed by Mr Hara and his colleagues are not exactly uncommon among luxury fashion brands.

The global financial crisis has led to shrinking revenue as consumers are less willing to spend on expensive items.

In Japan alone, LVMH, which owns Louis Vuitton (LV), saw yen-denominated sales fall 7 per cent year-on-year in the nine months to Sept 30.

At French fashion house Hermes, executive vice-president Patrick Albaladejo said his business had suffered as many customers are middle-class consumers, who are most likely to be hit by the financial turmoil.

To address the problem, European fashion houses, including LV, are testing new strategies for the world’s second-largest luxury goods market after the United States, by wooing the super-wealthy.

They are also using Tokyo as a glamorous mall to lure consumers from the rest of Asia.

Over the past couple of years, brands such as Armani, Bulgari and Gucci have opened huge Tokyo flagship stores, complete with restaurants and even a spa.

At LV, the personal touches by Mr Hara and his colleagues might just work – two or three customers have each bought a "secret" bag, at the price tag of six million yen (S$87,123) each.

This article was first published in my paper on Oct 21, 2008.