The rise of inconspicuous consumption: insight into the luxury context

Abstract

Much of the early theoretical work on luxury elaborated on the socially oriented and the conspicuousness aspect of luxury consumption. More recently, researchers and practitioners have begun to challenge traditional views on conspicuous luxury consumption. Against this background, the present qualitative study sets to gain an in-depth understanding of the luxury consumer perceptions in a German context. Six prominent dimensions were identified that seem to convey how consumers perceive luxury brands: self-control and balance, discreet luxury, symbolic value of luxury, sustainable luxury, functional luxury and contemporary designs. The findings of this study illustrate the complexity of the luxury evaluation process. Participants seem to be trying to reconcile their need for self-restraint, social equality and environmental sustainability with some of the innate characteristics of luxury such as excess, conspicuousness and overindulgence. Away from generalised portraits of the conspicuous luxury consumer eager to display social status to inspire envy and to dissociate themselves from others, this article also points to the rise of inconspicuous consumption among luxury consumers.