Pursuing the concept of luxury: Introduction to the JBR Special Issue on “Luxury Marketing from Tradition to Innovation”

Despite centuries of criticisms of luxury, the sector continues to grow, rapidly, globally, and especially in countries that previously lacked any such market. Structural changes in the types of sales and consumers affect the concept of luxury for consumers. In contrast with traditional perceptions of luxury consumers as a homogeneous group of “happy few,” multiple, contrasted segments now emerge among luxury clientele, who perceive the meaning of luxury very heterogeneously. In this setting, researchers need new criteria to define luxury. These criteria also must account for the ever increasing role of the Internet in luxury marketing and sales. In addition to posing new questions and research avenues, this editorial offers a brief overview of the seven papers in this special issue, which is an outgrowth of the 2014 Monaco Symposium on Luxury, organized by INSEEC Business School and the International University of Monaco.