Interesting article my son sent me via Facebook about Louis Vuitton

#4
hmm.. true in india as well but LV need to understand that Asian countries are moving from being "developing" to developed which mean better and higher living standards of ppl and this equates to more LV bcuz i believe LV is the second most sought after brand after Hermes.
 
#6
Makes since. When I was younger Coach was considered a 'high brand'. Now 10+ years later everyone has a Coach 'signature' bag in my hometown. Burberry also suffered sales from too much exposure. Though I think as long as LV puts out fun items I'll still be hooked :graucho:
 
#8
Thanks for sharing. That is interesting. I've read this sort of theory before. I just hope LV aren't so overly concerned with exclusivity that they begin to increase their prices as outrageously as Chanel does, for instance. Although I like some of their pieces, I have no great interest in buying Chanel or Bottega Veneta. The other brands I like (Gucci, Mulberry, Vivienne Westwood, Burberry to name a few) are comparatively less expensive than the brands that are considered very high end like BV or Hermès. I hope LV doesn't go to those extremes, because I can't justify those sorts of prices and frankly even if I were made of money, I don't think I could bring myself to spend that much on a bag!
 
#9
Yes, this seems to be exactly what happened to Coach. I too remember Coach being considered expensive and higher end, but now I go to Wal Mart in rural Western Pa, and every single woman in there is toting around a Coach bag. lol

I could totally see it happening with LV..although, even though it is more affordable than a Birkin, it's still insanely expensive. I mean, there's a big difference between buying a $100 Coach at the outlet and dropping $1,000 on an LV, right?
 
#10
in the future only the super rich people will be able to have some luxury in their life because every brand increase their prices. there are enough VERY exclusive brands like Hermes/Chanel/etc. which not everyone can afford.....IMO...so sad:shucks:
 
#11
I'm not sure of the relative prices because I haven't seen any Chanel or Bottega Veneta that I like, but I have noticed the 'under the radar' thing LV has going on. I was sent a sample copy of Elle magazine asking me to subscribe and there is a white LV bag in it (December 2011 issue) that doesn't look anything like 'normal' LV - actually looks kind of cheap to me but I'm sure it isn't!
 
#12
trumanfinn said:
Yes, this seems to be exactly what happened to Coach. I too remember Coach being considered expensive and higher end, but now I go to Wal Mart in rural Western Pa, and every single woman in there is toting around a Coach bag.
Click to expand...

I grew up in that part of the country and when I recently took my husband to see my hometown we saw a sign in the grocery store "no Canadian money accepted" - still trying to figure out who else from Canada even knows Conneautville exists!
 
#13
Lately, instead of China’s wealthy, the middle class has been fueling sales at Louis Vuitton.

Twenty-six-year-old Cherry, a secretary at a financial services firm in Shanghai, told me she scrimped and saved from her $800 a month salary to buy a $1,000 Louis Vuitton bag because she loves “the feeling” of carrying it when out with friends.

-----------------
Well, this also happened in the early days of the Japanese case, so I don't know what's making them worry. It's not really surprising. In one of the books I've read, they have featured Asian countries' luxe evolution and it has five stages.

1) Subjugation (desire, dream)
2) Start of money (economic growth)
3) Show-off (the need to announce the money)
4) Fit-in (large "middle class" customer base)
5) Way of life (used to quality items, no turning back)

Japan is in the 4th and 5th stage, while China is seen to be on the 1st to the 3rd stage, India on the 1st to 2nd, Taiwan and Korea on the 3rd to 4th, and HK and Singapore from 3rd to 5th.

But then again, compared to the Japanese case, the middle class of China is larger in number than Japan's; thus the worry with the ubiquity of the brand, making it less exclusive.

Another interesting point raised in the article is the "hierarchy" of the customers. The book divided them into luxury gourmands (the high-net worth individuals donning designer items 24/7), luxury regulars (who are on a staple consumption, but not as high as the HNWI), and the luxury nibblers (who "partake in a few small bites of luxe every season, a bag here, a watch there, whatever they can afford"). This is not exclusive in China's case, but as said in the article, the mega wealthy wanted "more exclusive" items, which clearly supports the fact that China is still on the 3rd stage that even if there's economic growth, wealth is still disproportionately distributed that they still want to outdo one another, and there's a stark difference in their consumption pattern.

Source: The Cult of the Luxury Brands: Inside Asia's Love Affair With Luxury
 
#14
Ermm... ok so LV may become the new coach?! Sigh... not so sure I wanna buy many more LVs if that's what's gonna happen. Somehow, it makes the brand less enticing? :shucks: especially if the designs aren't catching my eyes anymore.
 
#15
viewwing said:
Ermm... ok so LV may become the new coach?! Sigh... not so sure I wanna buy many more LVs if that's what's gonna happen. Somehow, it makes the brand less enticing? :shucks: especially if the designs aren't catching my eyes anymore.
Click to expand...


I think the article is implying how popular the brand has become in China. I see nothing wrong with carrying a brand you love. I don't have a Hermes because personally I don't like the style of most of their bags, not because I cannot afford one. On the other hand, alot of people on here love Hermes. Are they as widely seen as LV?, no. Their price point has a lot to do with that and that's fine if it gives the brand more exclusivity. LV does appeal to more people because they offer a broader range of styles and price levels that appeal to everyone. That may be one of the reasons I love to carry it.

I say carry what you love and be happy, I am;)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top
Back