So-called luxury-goods companies are getting clobbered.
You can see it in the earnings of Christian Dior or Richemont, or the empty aisles of Saks and Nieman Marcus. As if the economy weren't bad enough, wealthy consumers are allegedly suffering from 'luxury shame,' feeling guilty about paying $5,000 for a handbag while Rome burns.
Luxury, in short, is dead.
Or not.
A new survey from Prince and Associates shows that true luxury - goods that are rare, expertly made and sold to a select few - may be making a comeback. And the truly rich couldn't be happier.
The survey, which polled 108 private jet owners with a mean net worth $116 million, found that 94% of those surveyed defined luxury as 'for oneself,' rather than for the masses (2.8%). That marks a big change from last year, when 37% agreed that luxury should also be for the masses.
What's more, 92% said they feel no guilt over luxury spending today, since they said the money was hard-earned. (So much for luxury shame among the jet set). And 73% said a true luxury brand is a reward for being elite.
'What you're seeing is a shift to real elitism,' says Russ Alan Prince, the president of Prince Assoc. 'The rich like it better that everybody can't be part of the luxury boom anymore.'
Mr. Prince said the fall of the so-called mass affluent or 'trading up' crowd could returns luxury its roots - selling super-crafted, little-known status to a select few. Needless to say, Tiffany charm bracelets, though labeled as luxury, convey about as much status as a mood ring.
'Luxury is becoming luxury again,' he said. 'I say we're entering a luxury Renaissance.'
Granted, even the superrich have cut back, with most in the survey saying they plan to spend less on luxury goods. But they plan to buy fewer goods of higher quality, rather than scrapping luxury altogether. Fully 82% said they plan to make fewer purchases, but 72% said they plan to make 'more upscale' purchases.
In other words, if you're Hermes or LVMH, you're going to do better in the coming months than Burberry or Coach.
经济衰退让所谓的奢侈品行业遭受了冲击。
这一点，看看迪奥(Christian Dior)或Richemont的业绩报告，或Saks、Nieman Marcus百货店里空荡荡的走廊就知道了。就好像经济方面的打击还不够糟糕似的，富裕阶层消费者据称还在遭受所谓"奢侈犯罪感"，对在这样的危难时刻还花5,000美元买一只手袋之类的行为产生了负疚感。
法国总统萨科齐和夫人布吕尼。布吕尼身穿迪奥的紫色套裙。简而言之，奢侈品行业已经消亡。
也许未必。
Prince and Associates最近所做的一项调查显示，真正的奢侈品（也就是那些稀有的、由真正行家制作的、只出售给特定的少数人的商品）或许正在回潮。而那些真正富有的人别提多开心了。
Prince and Associates调查了108位拥有私人飞机的人士，他们的平均净资产额在1.16亿美元。调查发现，94%的受访者给奢侈品选择的定义是"给自己的"，而不是"为大众的"（这个选项的比例是2.8%）。这个结果与去年相比有很大的变化，当时，有37%的人认为奢侈品也应该为大众市场服务。
而且，92%的受访者表示，他们目前对奢侈品消费没有负疚感，他们说，这些钱都是他们辛苦挣来的。（这些乘私人飞机旅行的人士的奢侈负疚感也莫过如此）。73%的受访者表示，真正的奢侈品是对成为精英人士的一种奖赏。
Prince Assoc.总裁普林斯(Alan Prince)说，可以看到一种向真正的精英优越论的转变。富人们更喜欢这样一种感觉，那就是不再是每个人都能成为奢侈品繁荣的一部分。
普林斯说，所谓的大众化富人或"追逐高价消费"者的衰微可以让奢侈恢复其本来面目，那就是：向特定的少数人兜售一种精心打造的、很少人了解的身份地位。第凡内(Tiffany)的装饰性手镯虽然被作为奢侈品看待，但无需解释，其传递的身份信息并不比一只心情戒指更多。
"奢侈品重新成为奢侈品，"他说，"我想说我们正在进入一个奢侈品复兴的时代"。
当然，即使是超级富豪也在压缩开支。调查中大部分人都表示，他们计划减少在奢侈品上的开支。不过，他们只是打算减少对高档商品的购买量，并不是彻底不再碰奢侈品。至少82%的受访者说，他们将减少奢侈品购买量，但72%的人表示，他们计划购买"更高档"的东西。
也就是说 ，如果你是爱马仕(Hermes)或路易威登(LVMH)，那么，在接下来的几个月，你的生意会比Burberry或Coach更兴隆。
关键字:英语阅读
生词表:
You can see it in the earnings of Christian Dior or Richemont, or the empty aisles of Saks and Nieman Marcus. As if the economy weren't bad enough, wealthy consumers are allegedly suffering from 'luxury shame,' feeling guilty about paying $5,000 for a handbag while Rome burns.
Luxury, in short, is dead.
Or not.
A new survey from Prince and Associates shows that true luxury - goods that are rare, expertly made and sold to a select few - may be making a comeback. And the truly rich couldn't be happier.
The survey, which polled 108 private jet owners with a mean net worth $116 million, found that 94% of those surveyed defined luxury as 'for oneself,' rather than for the masses (2.8%). That marks a big change from last year, when 37% agreed that luxury should also be for the masses.
What's more, 92% said they feel no guilt over luxury spending today, since they said the money was hard-earned. (So much for luxury shame among the jet set). And 73% said a true luxury brand is a reward for being elite.
'What you're seeing is a shift to real elitism,' says Russ Alan Prince, the president of Prince Assoc. 'The rich like it better that everybody can't be part of the luxury boom anymore.'
Mr. Prince said the fall of the so-called mass affluent or 'trading up' crowd could returns luxury its roots - selling super-crafted, little-known status to a select few. Needless to say, Tiffany charm bracelets, though labeled as luxury, convey about as much status as a mood ring.
'Luxury is becoming luxury again,' he said. 'I say we're entering a luxury Renaissance.'
Granted, even the superrich have cut back, with most in the survey saying they plan to spend less on luxury goods. But they plan to buy fewer goods of higher quality, rather than scrapping luxury altogether. Fully 82% said they plan to make fewer purchases, but 72% said they plan to make 'more upscale' purchases.
In other words, if you're Hermes or LVMH, you're going to do better in the coming months than Burberry or Coach.
经济衰退让所谓的奢侈品行业遭受了冲击。
这一点，看看迪奥(Christian Dior)或Richemont的业绩报告，或Saks、Nieman Marcus百货店里空荡荡的走廊就知道了。就好像经济方面的打击还不够糟糕似的，富裕阶层消费者据称还在遭受所谓"奢侈犯罪感"，对在这样的危难时刻还花5,000美元买一只手袋之类的行为产生了负疚感。
法国总统萨科齐和夫人布吕尼。布吕尼身穿迪奥的紫色套裙。简而言之，奢侈品行业已经消亡。
也许未必。
Prince and Associates最近所做的一项调查显示，真正的奢侈品（也就是那些稀有的、由真正行家制作的、只出售给特定的少数人的商品）或许正在回潮。而那些真正富有的人别提多开心了。
Prince and Associates调查了108位拥有私人飞机的人士，他们的平均净资产额在1.16亿美元。调查发现，94%的受访者给奢侈品选择的定义是"给自己的"，而不是"为大众的"（这个选项的比例是2.8%）。这个结果与去年相比有很大的变化，当时，有37%的人认为奢侈品也应该为大众市场服务。
而且，92%的受访者表示，他们目前对奢侈品消费没有负疚感，他们说，这些钱都是他们辛苦挣来的。（这些乘私人飞机旅行的人士的奢侈负疚感也莫过如此）。73%的受访者表示，真正的奢侈品是对成为精英人士的一种奖赏。
Prince Assoc.总裁普林斯(Alan Prince)说，可以看到一种向真正的精英优越论的转变。富人们更喜欢这样一种感觉，那就是不再是每个人都能成为奢侈品繁荣的一部分。
普林斯说，所谓的大众化富人或"追逐高价消费"者的衰微可以让奢侈恢复其本来面目，那就是：向特定的少数人兜售一种精心打造的、很少人了解的身份地位。第凡内(Tiffany)的装饰性手镯虽然被作为奢侈品看待，但无需解释，其传递的身份信息并不比一只心情戒指更多。
"奢侈品重新成为奢侈品，"他说，"我想说我们正在进入一个奢侈品复兴的时代"。
当然，即使是超级富豪也在压缩开支。调查中大部分人都表示，他们计划减少在奢侈品上的开支。不过，他们只是打算减少对高档商品的购买量，并不是彻底不再碰奢侈品。至少82%的受访者说，他们将减少奢侈品购买量，但72%的人表示，他们计划购买"更高档"的东西。
也就是说 ，如果你是爱马仕(Hermes)或路易威登(LVMH)，那么，在接下来的几个月，你的生意会比Burberry或Coach更兴隆。
关键字:英语阅读
生词表:
京公网安备 11011202003401号
