Purposeful Luxury - Lifestyle in times of the corona pandemic

The time of opulent luxury is over. Today luxury is more inclusive, more conscious and more positive. Welcome to the world of purposeful luxury

By expert Julia Riedmeier "Neo Luxury"

pure luxury
Source & Copyright by Schaffrath 

Author: Julia Riedmeier

Bain & Company estimates a decline in the global personal market for luxury goods by 20% to 35%. Revenge spending is no longer of any help here. The desire for loud and accustomed luxury seems (for the time being) to be disappearing. Bling-Bling is exchanged for quiet luxury, for one's own sense of well-being and that of society. Luxury is becoming more inclusive, more conscious, more positive.

What does the world need, what do I need? In 2020, especially during the lockdown, we learned what we really need and what is conscious consumption. Some facets were thrown overboard after the lockdown, others with ins Next normaltaken. Even before the pandemic, things were changing Consumer needs, Information and purchasing behavior. Mirrored in the NEO luxury trendslike sustainability, mindfulness, digitization, which have increased through the movements of the last few months.

luxury brands were encouraged to think (even) more of the customer, to act in a more sustainable, digital and agile way. But how exactly does the evolved luxury customer tick and what do these movements mean for luxury brands and their management?

BRAND GUIDE

Mindful consumption

Luxury consumers have become more demanding, more critical and consciously ask: Where do the materials come from, where are they manufactured, who is behind the brand? What added value do products offer besides purely hedonistic consumption – what ecological and social contribution is made? The new luxury consumer motto is therefore to consume with moderation and caution. Less is more and if less, then also with more quality and substance.

A turn to minimalism and appreciation of materials, craftsmanship, the people behind the brand shape this movement. Luxury consumers consciously weigh up their purchasing decisions. They look for authentic voices from the online brand interest community in the sense of user-generated content (UGC). Due to various digital possibilities, consumers as well as the brand interest group are enabled and willing to share their brand experience and, if given, also to point out their misconduct, as it happens on the platform DietPrada. The fashion industry in particular has taken it to extremes in recent years. As the enfant terrible of the sustainability movement, various drops and numerous collections per year have fueled the negative voices. This in combination with the handling of unsold, old collections.

True luxury products, on the other hand, defy disposable or trendy products, as they outlast time per se due to the design performance and material quality. Respectively, digital vintage platforms provide solutions. The Second Life movement has become part of a sustainable lifestyle that is finding its way into the luxury industry and meeting demand. In the spirit of the Circular Economy, the value chain can also be set up sustainably right from the start. Unsold inventory can also be rethought and products can be given a new life. Petit h from Hermès shows how it works.

petit h hermes

Petit H Collection Hermes

Brand rules are shifting

In addition to the conscious and critical attitude of luxury consumers, there is the notion of being instead of belonging: Which brands fit into their life world, which ones understand them and pick them up right there?

The times of submitting to a brand dictate are over. In addition, luxury consumers have become more price-sensitive. The idea of ​​the Lean Luxury business model picks up on this movement. Lean Luxury means eliminating what only causes costs but does not bring any added value for the consumer. This in the sense of (new) direct-to-consumer models, which go off the beaten track of the industry, sometimes not relying upon middlemen and even not a brand name. The customer becomes a co-creator and the brand him- or herself, since the (brand) manufacturer subordinates itself and becomes an enabler. At the same time, they also create a kind of community. For "people in the know".

lean luxury

Lean Luxury Concept Ruby Hotel

This is also relevant from an established brand perspective. Here, luxury companies can learn from DNVBs - Digital Native Vertical Brands - a variant of the direct-to-consumer models. Founded in the digital world, they cultivate a direct customer relationship right from the start, align their lean product portfolio and communication to customer needs and develop them further with the help of data. They show transparency in procurement and manufacturing processes as well as pricing. Plus, they manufacture their product responsibly and locally.

The purpose, the why is deeply anchored and becomes the guiding theme for a meaningful brand experience. But always authentic and without marketing chichi. Because the critical consumer observes and is ready to act on social media. Thus, in addition to classic luxury product features such as aesthetics, quality, hedonistic value, ethics, the purpose must also be given. For both, traditional and new luxury brands.

moncler sustainability

Moncler leads the global Dow Jones Sustainability Index as the industry leader for luxury goods & textiles

New rules of the game - new prices?

Due to the pandemic, we are increasingly in a redefinition of game rules, players and codes. The luxury industry is becoming more and more fragmented. But what do the latest developments mean for the pricing strategy of luxury goods, one of the traditional indicators and core elements of a luxury brand?

The lockdown has not only reduced sales for luxury brands, it has also pushed up certain commodity prices. So on the one hand is loud Bain & Company, the personal luxury goods market declined 25% in the first quarter of 2020. For LVMH, the largest luxury conglomerate with over XNUMX luxury brands, was loud Reuters half-yearly sales XNUMX% below the previous year's figure.

On the other hand, according to Robbe & Berking, the price of silver has almost doubled since April 2020. Declines in sales meet increased raw material prices. According to Reuters, luxury brands such as Chanel and Louis Vuitton raised the prices for some of their top products as early as the middle of the year. According to Chanel, the price increase for iconic products as well as some small leather products is 5-17%. Other luxury brands have also announced or have already implemented price changes. Either pointedly or related to the entire range. But to what extent and to what extent is this understandable for the consumer?

chanel bag

Source & Copyright by Chanel

In the past, luxury brands have continuously increased their prices. That was part of the game. The prices were rarely rational – emotion and exclusion were always part of the luxury equation. If prices rise far from the (annual) price increase, it is worth reflecting to what extent the decline in sales due to the lockdown, increased raw material prices and/or the increase in exclusivity of product icons play a role. It remains to be seen whether the price increases will misfire.

More than ever, luxury is on the move

This much can be said: If the maxim of profit is in the foreground and not linked to sustainable, social goals, it will be difficult to implement this strategy without headwinds. Profit is the oxygen for everyone. But not only for shareholders, but thanks to the NEO luxury trends also in terms of society, environment and stakeholders. More than ever, luxury is on the move. Where the formation of an otherwise static industry is heading remains highly exciting. What is certain is that continuity and classic parameters of a luxury brand strategy have come to an end.

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Text: Julia Riedmeier

Julia Riedmeier is managing partner of an owner-managed strategy consultancy with a focus on premium and luxury brands. As a millennial, Julia takes a critical look at established business models. In contact with start-ups in France, Switzerland and Germany, it is important to her to bring this spirit into her projects and to stimulate new ways of thinking. Especially in the area of ​​digital strategies and neo-luxury concepts. In addition to her consulting work, Julia holds a teaching position at the International University of Monaco as well as leading the luxury module at Munich Business School. Her doctoral thesis is dedicated to the topic of luxury brand management in times of co-creation.

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