Ultra-rich still shopping for luxury despite inflation, recession

Prices for food, gas and travel have soared over the past year –  but the rich appear to be shrugging it off and are still fueling sales at luxury companies, where sneakers can go for $1,200 and sports cars easily top $300,000.

Companies that cater to the ultra-rich, including Ferrari and the parent companies of Dior, Louis Vuitton and Versace, are reporting strong sales or hiking their profit forecasts. The upbeat results come even as recessionary fears hang over the economy, with Walmart, Best Buy, Gap and others slashing their financial outlooks, citing a pullback in spending among lower-income consumers squeezed by inflation.

The unflagging strength in the luxury category is in line with past economic slowdowns, experts say, with the rich often being the last to feel the effects because of the cushion their extreme wealth provides. Among the jet set, the continued spending also signals how pricey purchases often serve as status symbols.

“Having symbols of power within your tribe is a powerful thing,” said Milton Pedraza, founder and CEO of Luxury Institute, a market research and business management firm. “Those symbols of power still matter tremendously within the tribes of the ultra-wealthy.”

Louis Vuitton, for example, offers a pair of sneakers for $1,230, as well as a bag that costs $2,370. The high-fashion brand’s parent company LVMH, which also owns Christian Dior, Fendi and Givenchy, reported organic revenue growth of 21% to 36.7 billion euros ($37.8 billion) in the first half of 2022 compared to a year ago.

At Versace, where the price tag for a pair of shoes or collared shirt can easily top $1,000, quarterly revenue rose nearly 30% to $275 million from a year ago when stripping out the effect of currency movements. Its parent company Capri Holdings, which also owns Michael Kors and Jimmy Choo, said overall revenue rose 15% to $1.36 billion for the period.

Despite the broader economic uncertainties, Capri CEO John Idol said the company remains confident in its long-term goals because of the “the proven resilience of the luxury industry.”

“None of us know what’s going to happen in the back half of the year with the consumer, but it appears that the luxury industry is quite robust and quite healthy,” Capri said during an earnings call this week.

Earlier this month, Italian supercar maker Ferrari also boosted its guidance for the year after revenue hit a record 1.29 billion euros ($1.33 billion) in its second quarter. The 75-year-old automaker’s 2022 Ferrari 296 GTB, which has plug-in hybrid capabilities, starts at $322,000, according to Car and Driver, while its 2022 Ferrari 812 GTS starts at around $600,000. Even used Ferraris are selling for hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Outside the luxury world, some companies are also noting strength in more expensive options. Delta Air Lines, for example, cited stronger revenue recovery for offerings such as business class and premium economy, compared with its other coach tickets.

Though the luxury…