Modern luxury is increasingly negotiating a difficult balance between exclusivity and relevance. Collaborations like Swatch × Audemars Piguet reveal how brands are adapting to a more participation-driven luxury economy but they also raise uncomfortable questions about how much accessibility luxury can absorb before symbolic prestige begins to weaken.
Retail
Latest articles on Retail
RETAIL4 min read
A Careful Comeback: China’s Luxury Market Poised for Continued Recovery in 2026
Bain & Company’s new report notes early signs of recovery in mainland China’s luxury market, but growth is increasingly shaped by grey market cannibalisation and competition from local brands.
RETAIL6 min read
The Handbag Divide: Why Premium Is Winning in China’s Luxury Reset
China’s handbag market is rebounding unevenly, with growth concentrated in the premium and absolute-luxury segments while aspirational brands face structural pressure. Value polarisation, overseas spending and grey-market expansion are accelerating this divide and redefining competitive advantage.
RETAIL8 min read
China’s Luxury Reawakening: What’s Next?
After years of caution, China’s luxury market is reawakening. The new playbook adopted by leading brands shows that China’s influence on the world’s top maisons is no longer cyclical – it is systemic, redefining what relevance means in a multipolar luxury world.
RETAIL5 min read
Exclusive DLG Research: How 140 Million Searches Reveal Swiss Watch Brands’ Rising US Dependency
DLG’s Partner & AI Innovation Director Benjamin Dubuc and Founder & CEO David Sadigh examine how proposed trade policies threaten luxury watchmakers with unprecedented US market exposure reaching 25% for leading brands
RETAIL6 min read
Shop and Awe: The Spectacle Economy Comes to Retail
For retailers still wedded to the stack-‘em-high approach, the writing is on the minimally decorated wall. In an age where anything can be delivered tomorrow, physical stores must offer something worth leaving home for.
RETAIL4 min read
Shoppers Want More Personalised Technology In-Stores and Online
Retailers and shoppers have different expectations for fashion technology.
RETAIL5 min read
Polarisation Strikes Back for the Luxury Industry: Bain
The luxury industry is becoming increasingly polarised, with only 65 to 70 percent of brands expected to achieve a positive growth rate this year.
