Wealthy Americans don’t really think that good times are here again for the economy. But they’re going on shopping sprees …
luxury
Luxury Wheels, Honda Price: New Breed of Upscale Cars Selling for About $30,000
Luxury automakers like Mercedes, BMW and Cadillac would hate for their cars to be described as merely “average.” Yet new models from these and other upscale auto manufacturers are average in a way that’s undeniably appealing to consumers: they all have starting prices at around $30,000.
Not Your Grandpa’s Mercedes: Luxury Car Makers Aim for Younger, Less Rich Customers
Many younger drivers think that owning a car — any car — is a pricey, unnecessary burden. In which case, buying a luxury car would seem to be especially out of the question.
What’s New in Spoiled Children, and Spoiled Pets
Time and again, consumer trends point out that people are increasingly pampering their pets as if they were children. Or is it the other way around? In any event, they’re both pretty spoiled.
The Blurring Line Between Cheap and Luxury Cars
Pickup trucks are being sold with heated steering wheels and snakeskin leather accented interiors. Middle-of-the-road cars like the Ford Fusion come with sport-stitched leather-trimmed 10-way power seats. Even Kia, which has won …
Cough Up More for Coffee: Price Hikes Coming to Starbucks
Hey coffee lovers, here’s a little jolt that may help wake you up. The asking prices for a half-dozen different Starbucks beverages are getting more expensive at a broad swath of the coffee chain’s locations around the country.
Meet the $16 Fast Food Burger
Wendy’s is on pace to replace Burger King as the No. 2 hamburger chain in the U.S., and it owes much of its success to new, more upscale menu offerings like thicker, rounder burgers, fries with sea salt and salad with asiago cheese. But that’s nothing compared to what the company is doing in Japan. It’s pulling out all the stops with a …
Top 10 Shopping Trends for the 2011 Holiday Season
Here’s a look back at the frantic holiday shopping season that’s just passed—and that, among other things, reached a high point for self-gifting, shoplifting, free shipping, and procrastination. Without further adieu, this …
Six-Figure Parking Spots: The Rich Pay $125,000 to Park Their Cars
Paying $100K for a parking spot sounds totally ridiculous. Unless, that is, that spot would sell for $125K two years after it was purchased—in which case, it’d be a better investment than most traditional real estate has been lately.
Retailers Boost Sales By Marking Goods Down — or Marking Them Way Up
Go big, or go out of business. Time and again over the last few years, retailers have resorted to big discounts as a reliable means to move merchandise and boost sales figures. In some cases, raising prices is accomplishing the same goal.
Nowadays, the Rich Actually Pause Before Spending, Care About Value
Research shows that in the post-recession era, wealthy Americans are more inclined to wait for items to go on sale before making purchases. Brand names mean less to them, marketing has less influence as well, and the number of well-off shoppers who say they trust salespeople has plummeted. In other words, the rich today are more likely …
Gilt Groupe: Will the Lux-for-Less Obsession Last?
In the words of fashion designer Zac Posen: “The media is constantly redefining what luxury is. Luxury can be a dirty sock if dressed up in the right way.” Such is the secret behind Gilt Groupe, the discount luxury flash-sales site that hasn’t yet turned a profit but just convinced investors to throw another $138 million into its chic …
