In 2024, luxury was rocked by heightened polarization and changes in consumer behavior in favor of more sustainable, experiential alternatives. For 2025 and beyond, it needs to preserve its desirability by finding the right equation between exclusivity and accessibility.
Having been buffeted by headwinds for several months, luxury brands have evolved in an environment where the balance between desirability and accessibility is increasingly tenuous. Cultivating the perceived value of products and services in a market where trends are rapidly evolving has become a major challenge for them. But economic uncertainties and new consumer trends have revealed the flaws in certain strategic choices, and mirrored other successes. How is the luxury sector navigating its way through the various global trends?
Economic and internal crises
Luxury is experiencing an unprecedented polarization: while hyper-luxury customers account for almost half the sales of the major Houses, accessible luxury has lost 50 million customers in 2 years, according to the Bain – Altagamma 2024 annual report. The impact of the inflationary context is tangible: at Kering, sales were down 15% year-on-year in the third quarter, while at LVMH, they were down 4.4% in the same quarter. Finally, the sector is facing a crisis in Chinese consumption, formerly a bastion of luxury goods.
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