ELITE CHINA - LUXURY CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR IN CHINA

A ground-breaking exploration of the Chinese elite's consumption of luxury products and their attitudes toward luxury goods. Elite China identifies the Chinese luxury product consumers and the characteristics of their luxury consumption, explains the implications for luxury firms and marketers and most importantly, spells out strategies for international luxury brands and Chinese luxury brands to succeed in Chinese market.

Pierre Xiao Lu is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at Fudan University's School of Management in Shanghai and the LVMH Chair Visiting Professor of Marketing at ESSEC Paris-Singapore. He also consults for many multinational luxury firms, such as Lacoste S.A., LVMH and PPR-Gucci.
Professor Lu specializes in luxury consumer behavior in China and luxury brand management in Asia. After working for several years at ESSEC's luxury industry research center, he received his Ph.D. from ESSEC Business School Paris. He has published a number of articles on the luxury industry and Chinese luxury consumers in professional and academic journals, such as AMA, AFM, Comite Colbert, Harvard Business Review China and Financial Times China.
The book Luxury Brand Management: A World of Privilege (John Wiley & Sons (Asia) Pte Ltd., 2008) was translated by Professor Lu into Chinese (Shanghai People's Publishing house).

Foreword

Acknowledgments 5

Introduction: Understand Chinese Elite, Understand China's future 7

Chapter I: Luxury Consumption and China Elites 11
- Luxury consumption and Chinese elite in ancient times 11
- Conspicuous consumption in Confucianism-influenced countries 18
- Demography of consumer generations and social classes 20
- Emerging upper-middle class and super rich: Chinese Elite 23

Chapter II: the Confused Concept of "Luxury" in Today's China 32
- The concept of luxury in occidental cultures 32
- Meaning of Luxury Products in Asian Countries 33
- The connotation of luxury??? sh? ch? ?in Chinese and its negative impacts on luxury consumption 37
- Concept of honour and disgrace 40

Chapter III: Consumer Value Systems of China in 21st century 44
- Some Important Theories Related to the Subject 44
- Melt-pot value system in the transitional China 49
- The persistence of traditional values let us recall the ancient age lifestyle 59
- New dominant ideological values encourage people to enrich themselves 68
- Occidental values influence people to express their personal tastes 76

Chapter IV: A Typology of Chinese Luxury Consumers 81
- Methodologies 82
- Chinese Elite's Luxury Goods Consumptions 88
- Psychographic traits, Consumer process and the Meaning of luxury products 100
- Four segments of Chinese Luxury Consumers 105

Chapter V: Their Habits, Lifestyles and Geographic Locations 121
- Their different consumption of luxury brands 121
- Geographic locations: Beijing/Shanghai/Guangzhou/Chengdu 132
- Beijing and the North of China: 136
- Shanghai and the East of China 144
- Guangzhou and the South of China 154
- Chengdu and the Middle West of China 159
- Attitudes towards counterfeiting luxury products 162

Chapter VI: Chinese Luxury Brands Opportunities 174
- 3 Strategies to develop a Chinese luxury brand 174
- The Ambivalence of Chinese Elite towards Occidental Luxury 199

Conclusion: How to succeed in Chinese Luxury Market 211