Unrequited Luxury Love: A story about how luxury met the internet

Abstract: The luxury industry has for long been hesitant towards online channels. It has been argued that the accessibility and mass-distribution of the internet is not compatible with values of exclusivity and rarity that are said to be critical to luxury brands. Despite this, many luxury brands have recently started to embrace online channels and research done on luxury consumers have shown that they do not perceive a contradiction with luxury brands being online. This made us question what this shift implies for the meaning of luxury. To investigate this, a qualitative media analysis was conducted that examined how luxury has been represented in relation to the internet since the introduction of the internet until today. In total, 113 articles were analyzed over a period of 30 years. This revealed how luxury has gone from being defined by powerful luxury brands as an exclusive rarity for the elite, to an accessible service following the demand of the consumer. Our study holds relevance beyond the luxury market as it combines theories within the fields of storytelling and performativity, to demonstrate how market actors can shape present market meanings by telling stories about the future with the help of media and industry analysts.