The post-pandemic world has changed the way of luxury, prices in the retail market have skyrocketed in the last year and many are questioning why. 

Harpers Bazaar

Luxury has always been about giving clients the best materials and artistry in their goods but also having these goods be produced in smaller amounts. In luxury retail, it is about how and where the item is made and who can get their hands on it. 

Have you ever heard, “It’s not just a bag, it’s a Birkin?” Well, that famous line came from the original Sex and the City, in that episode Samantha wanted to get the bag that the world was dying for, yet it would have taken 5 years for it to become available to her. 

Well-crafted luxury items are priced according to how exclusive the item is. For a Birkin, you’re looking at around $20,000 (on a good day). For other luxury brands and items that have higher production rates, these brands and their items can run in the lower thousands, but not anymore. 

The pandemic not only shut down the world, but it shut down production, in the luxury world the small number of products being made was already at a low, and now, the supply does not meet the demand. 

Forbes

The demand for a Gucci shoe or a Louis Vuitton bag is at the height of its existence; everyone wants these items and now they cannot find them. So, with prices for the scarce market they are in, nobody wants to shop for luxury fashion at retail price, so what are they doing, they’re finding these items elsewhere. 

Consignment shops are one place to look, but if you want to own these bags, many people are heading to websites to purchase these luxury goods. Places like Ssense, Farfetch, Grailed and other places are platforms that are reliable retailers of luxury goods. 

At prices like today’s, you can find items from these platforms that are more exclusive, in great condition and are not as costly. The reason many turn to these websites to resell or buy the luxury goods they love is that fashion is ever-changing. Today you might sell a bag you’ve had for 20 years because it wasn’t your style anymore, but for someone shopping on Ssense or Farfetched, they have been dreaming of a bag like that but couldn’t afford it. 

Article published by HOLR Magazine