Opportunities:
Large Market for luxury goods and positive trends in emerging markets
Trends that control the global luxury goods market are globalization, consolidation, and diversification (Tavoulari 1). Globalization is a result of the increased availability of these goods, additional luxury brands, and an increase in tourism. Consolidation involves the growth of big companies and ownership of brands across many divisions of luxury products. LVMH is one example, demonstrating to be one of the top luxury companies that dominate the market in segments ranging from luxury drinks to fashion and cosmetics. This growth in the luxury market has greatly extended the availability of luxury goods to a wider audience of consumers. Luxury goods have also become more affordable to a wider range of consumers due to higher incomes in a number of emerging markets, such as the Middle East, China, Russia, and India (Tavoulari 1). At one point you had to travel to Paris, New York’s 5th Avenue or Rodeo Drive to shop at the luxury stores. However, today you can find luxury brands in malls all around the country. You can also go online and find a wide selection of the luxury brands to shop to have delivered to your door. Examples are Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Prada, etc. Luxury goods are no longer limited to just the upper class. Like in the emerging markets, today more and more people feel entitled to luxury goods. They strive for an escalated lifestyle. It is now becoming an achievable necessity.
The number of Chinese, Indians and Middle Eastern consumers who can afford luxury goods is increasing, despite the economic downturn in emerging markets, luxury-goods prices are actually much higher than in Europe (Tavoulari 1). In 2010, consumers in Ch...
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... are a huge threat to our water system. PETA states that large amounts of energy and chemicals are required in order to produce leather goods. LVMH has created a global charter called Environmental Affairs Department, which formulates protection standards and strategies for the environment. It coordinates actions and encourages its subsidiaries to adopt the “best ecological practices” across all divisions. However, the continue production of leather goods still pose a threat to the environment. It is critical for LVMH to continue to contend with developing eco-friendly strategies in order to continue to protect the environment. This will require new ways of thinking breaking away from tradition. Many brands have opted to develop non-leather products such as Stella Mccartney, whose bags are created from eco faux nappa, which is made from vegetable oil (Ramirez 1).
Choose several countries to enter that is suitable for the luxury market and in order to develop the strategy of the company
It is interesting to consider Veblen’s theory of conspicuous consumption as it pertains to the modern day fashion industry, specifically the luxury fashion sector. In The Theory of the Leisure Class, Veblen said “we all find a costly hand-wrought articles of apparel much preferable to a less expensive imitation of it;” however, at the beginning of the 20th century, couture clothing was exclusively available to those who were very wealthy, simply because of how much the garments cost. By the mid-1930’s, businesses were beginning to change their ways of thinking after seeing the enormous profit that the Walt Disney Company received once they licensed the making of Mickey Mouse novelty items. Christian Dior was the first of many fashion designers to foll...
Burberry today is considered one of the leading luxury brands of the word. Here is a synopsis of rise of Burberry:
Fashion is everything to society and the media. The fashion industry has transformed into a necessity in the life of people. Everyone wants to look good, feel fabulous and feel as if we belong with everyone else. The envy and desire to wear certain things and look a certain way all come, from wearing the latest fashion handbags, accessories, dresses, shoes, and the list goes on. But, when is considering fashion into an individual’s life going too far to the extreme? Many do not consider the whereabouts of fashion materials and how the environment is affected by the mere existence of certain garments. Some may believe these objects grow on trees. But that is clearly not the case. Even though it would be nice. The fashion industry as a whole, has been notorious from green issues caused by their lack of sensitivity to the environment, conspicuous and unnecessary consumption of materials, encouraging an “throw-away” society and image issues that support women and young adults to look a certain way to feel “beautiful.” This is an issue that has increased over the past decades. Not just women, but men also feel the uncontrollable need to do whatever it takes to look like the celebrities they see on television and on the runways. The thought that the materials to make those desired items may have caused the life of animals or the destruction of mother nature does not come into mind. Countless people are concerned about conserving planet Earth and keeping it healthy. The fashion world has been targeted for many corruptions.
...specific, the prices of leather goods, accessories, watches, jewelry, shoes and ready-to-wear of Louis Vuitton dropped by seven percent in 2008. Besides, Fujii takes some actions to face the challenges. For example, he sets an Internet business to follow the world trend and to enlarge the distribution channel. Also, he increases the product line to cover the children clothes and enlarges the market by opening stores in mid-size and small cities. Since Japan is still a developed country with wealthy families, the Japanese luxury market would still be a healthy and attractive market for Louis Vuitton and these challenges could be overcome in large extent.
The fashion industry has changed over a period of time due to the growth of boundaries. This is attributed to the varying dynamics of the industry; declining mass production, altered structural aspects in the supply chain, need for more affordable cost and quality. This shows that fashion retailers are able to acquire a competitive power in the market through making sure through which they get their products to the market for the consumers (McAfee, Dessain, & Sjoman, 2007). Consumers are hence able to get product easy and of high quality. Fast fashion has been able to meet the needs of consumers while trying to acquire major merchandize turnover to retailers than local rivals. The Zara case study reported sales $8.15 billion to its competitors Hennes & Mauritz 0f $7.87 billion (Dutta, 2002). This was the consumer’s one stop shop due to the quality products offered both globally and locally.
Kapferer, J., & Bastien, V 2009, The luxury strategy: break the rules of marketing to build luxury brands. London: Kogan Page.
For one, luxury can be defined through good health. For another, luxury can be defined through comfort. To many, luxury is defined through lavish possessions such as cars or jewelry. Regardless of how we perceive luxury, there is a journey behind how we achieve it. Cartier produced an exquisite commercial to celebrate the brand’s history. With the worldwide icon, the leopard, we went through the odyssey of Cartier’s history. The commercial started with a leopard statue of diamonds and jewels coming alive which symbolized the birth of the legacy of Cartier, the start of the odyssey. Then we start watching the leopard visit significant places of Cartier’s history: China, India, and France. All these places are important to the luxury industry. After the journey across different continents, we finally arrive in Paris where Cartier was founded, where
The high pressure luxury brand industry has evolved over the last few decades from a small and selective to a multibillion dollar arena offering significant potential and growth opportunity for the luxury brands that compete within its realm. With many luxury brands competing for over $225 billion (The Economist, 2009) in revenue each year it is easy to see how strategy plays an important role.
However, when looking to create a luxury brand, one must go beyond what is required of an ordinary brand, to create something of high value and therefore high prices. So instead of just having brand values, it should have brand beliefs, as this will create a stronger emotional connection with its customers. It should aim to go beyond having a logo, but rather a set of distinguishable icons and the brand’s points of sale needs to be somewhere that connects with its customers and becomes something of a pantheon among other retail outlets. Similarly the customer segmentation should have role reversal, so the customers want to buy their products. Luxury brands should instead of actively promoting their advantages over their competitors, never push the customers into buying their products, thereby offering mystique and letting the customers make the value creation. Lastly, a true luxury brand not only offers products but rather a way of life, allowing them to branch out over several product categories, into every aspect of their customer’s
Claudio, Luz. "Waste Couture: Environmental Impact of the Clothing Industry." Environmental Health Perspectives 115.9 (2007): A453-A454. Jstor. Web. 20 Nov. 2015.
Dubois and Czellar (2002) refer to luxury brands as those goods that can offer comfort, beauty and refinement. On the other hand, a prestige brand is referred to as a brand that has achieved a definitive level of accomplishment, either in the quality or performance. O’Cass a...
By 2002, Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton was the world’s largest luxury products company, enjoying annual sales of 12.2 billion euros. LVMH carries the most prestigious brand names in wine, champagne, fashion, jewelry, and perfume. Upon entrance of this luxury product industry, LVMH was aware that they produced products that nobody needed, but that were desired by millions across the world. This desire in some way fulfills a fantasy, making consumers feel as though they must buy it, or else they will not be in the moment, and thus will be left behind.
-Status symbols: Sophisticated customers who value the distinctive, exclusive collection seem to value the corporate-branded version of luxury. –Philip Martiz, chairman of the board
“Despite worldwide softness in the sale of luxury goods, LVMH has cemented its position as the world’s largest and most profitable player in the category. To stay there it must keep its customers loyal and its brand strong and find new markets worldwide” (Hazlett C. 2004). That is why in its mission they state to represent the most refined qualities of Western “ art de vivre” all around the world. Their objective is to be the leader in the luxury market, continuing to transmit elegance and creativity. This poses some major challenges, the main one is to keep being the leader in the luxury market through a sustainable growth. The main problem to achieve it is the high dependency on three main countries, France, Japan and USA. This becomes a threat because if there is an economic downturn in one country it affects LVMH directly that is why.