Pursuits
Luxury Market Seen Heading for Weakest Year Since Lehman Crash
- Bain & Co. cuts forecast of luxury industry sales growth
- Luxury sales set to fall for second straight year in China
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The global market for personal luxury goods is heading for its weakest year since 2009 as a combination of stock market turmoil, a strong dollar and a commodity-price rout curb demand.
Sales of items such as designer dresses and shoes will rise as little as 1 percent to 253 billion euros ($280 billion) in 2015, according to Bain & Co., which in May forecast growth of 2 percent to 4 percent. The projection, on a basis that excludes currency swings, would be the weakest gain since sales fell 11 percent in the year after Lehman Brothers’ collapse.