Luxury Consumers Want to Be Part of a Community

Shoppers seek much more than status from high-end items

Affluent consumers don't make purchase decisions lightly. They want to get to know the company behind the products and services they buy, meaning a luxury brand's reputation is its most important asset. Diana Verde Nieto is the co-founder and CEO of Positive Luxury, a company that assesses luxury brands' commitment to social responsibility and awards qualifying brands with the Butterfly Mark. For our July report, "Affluents in France, Germany and the UK: Savvy and Demanding, Both Online and Offline," Nieto spoke with eMarketer's Karin von Abrams about how the affluent demographic—and luxury itself—has changed.

eMarketer:

How would you describe the state of the luxury market?

Diana Verde Nieto:

Luxury today is not just about the affluent consumer. Luxury is being democratized. Brands are looking at "urban luxury." It's not just about haute luxury and very high-end stuff like it used to be.

Interview conducted on May 30, 2018

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