The global luxury goods market is entering a cooler but still resilient phase in 2025, with growth fuelled by experiences, emerging markets, and younger, digitally savvy shoppers. As product-only splurges lose steam, brands are being pushed to deliver lifestyle, connection, and value in new ways.
Global market in 2025
According to Euromonitor International, the global luxury market is valued at about 1.5 trillion dollars in 2025, highlighting how robust the sector remains despite inflation, higher rates, and geopolitical uncertainty. Other industry analyses project that luxury is on track for around 1.4 trillion euros in 2025, confirming a shift from the post‑pandemic boom to more sustainable, mid‑single‑digit growth.
Analysts note that the industry has cooled after “exceptional” post‑pandemic years but still shows “pockets of growth” across regions and categories as brands refine assortments and increase pricing discipline. In this environment, luxury houses that lean on data, sharpen pricing power, and deepen loyalty with top clients are best positioned to protect margins.
Experience takes center stage
One of the clearest shifts is the move from product‑centric buying to experience‑driven engagement, where wellness, lifestyle, and emotional connection are becoming new markers of status. Euromonitor’s luxury specialists note that wellness and lifestyle are now central to how affluent shoppers signal identity, driving spend in travel, hospitality, culture, and curated events around fashion and beauty.it-online+1
This is changing store design and retail real estate. In 2025, about 81% of personal luxury goods sales still happen in physical stores, but boutiques are being redesigned as experiential spaces rather than transactional boxes. High‑income consumers increasingly prefer in‑store luxury shopping, with 52% choosing physical locations in 2025, up sharply from 36% in 2023.
Emerging markets and new luxury buyers
Growth is tilting toward emerging markets, particularly South Africa, India, and the United Arab Emirates, which Euromonitor flags as some of the fastest‑rising luxury destinations. South Africa is reported at about 15% growth, while India and the UAE post around 10% and 9% respectively, making sub‑Saharan Africa and Asia‑Pacific key long‑term bets.
In India, the total luxury market is projected to reach about 12.1 billion dollars by 2025, with an expected 74% compound growth rate over the forecast period that puts the country firmly on global watchlists. At the same time, millennials and Gen Z are driving much of the sector’s momentum, bringing expectations around digital journeys, resale, responsibility, and inclusive storytelling.
Omnichannel, resale, and the store of the future
Even as e‑commerce for luxury grows faster than offline channels, reports show that physical luxury stores still capture the majority of sales and remain critical for emotion, trust, and service. Analysts expect online to keep outperforming in growth terms, but stress that the real advantage lies in seamless omnichannel journeys that integrate data, virtual styling, appointment‑based shopping, and localized assortments.
Resale and “third‑space” retail concepts are also gaining importance as consumers hunt for value, rarity, and lower‑impact ways to buy luxury. As a result, more brands are exploring authenticated pre‑owned programs, repairs, and archive drops to tap this demand while protecting brand equity and pricing power.
What brands need to do next
Consultants warn that after years of strong expansion, luxury must navigate 2024–2025 with tighter consumer budgets in some regions and higher expectations everywhere. Priorities include focusing on high‑potential cities, elevating in‑store experiences, and reinforcing pricing and assortment discipline while continuing to invest in clienteling and CRM.
At the same time, growing scrutiny on sustainability, diversity, and community impact is reshaping what “true luxury” means for younger global buyers. The brands that win this next chapter will be those that blend heritage with innovation, scarcity with smart access, and handcrafted products with rich, data‑driven, emotionally resonant experiences.
