Wealthy Consumers From China and Japan Rank Luxury Brands in Four Categories; Lots of Love in Asia for Chanel, Hermes and European Stalwarts

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - Jun 21, 2011) - A new series of Luxury Brands Status Index (LBSI) surveys from the independent and objective New York City-based Luxury Institute reveals firsthand impressions and rankings of dozens of luxury brands by high net-worth consumers from Japan and China. Respondents were 21 years of age and older, earning the equivalent of at least $185,000 per year -- one million Chinese renminbi or 15 million Japanese yen.

Wealthy Japanese and Chinese shoppers rated each brand on quality, exclusivity, social status and overall ownership experience. Also considered were price worthiness, willingness to recommend the brand and likelihood of purchase.

Based on overall LBSI scores, the top luxury brands rank as follows:

• Hotels
  • China: Fairmont Hotels & Resorts; JW Marriott; Aman Resorts
  • Japan: Ritz-Carlton; Orient-Express Hotels; Aman Resorts

• Handbags
  • China: Chanel; Louis Vuitton; Dior
  • Japan: Hermès; Chanel; Louis Vuitton

• Women's Fashion
  • China: Chanel; Dior; Hermès
  • Japan: Hermès; Chanel; Louis Vuitton

• Men's Fashion
  • China: Giorgio Armani; Versace; Brioni
  • Japan: Hermès; Louis Vuitton; Burberry

"European luxury brands are warmly received by wealthy shoppers throughout Asia," says Milton Pedraza, CEO of the Luxury Institute. "Japan's market is more mature and surprisingly resilient so far in the wake of the tsunami and quake, while growth stays red hot in China. Firms need to know where they rank."

For greater details on brand rankings in each category and other purchase considerations of wealthy Japanese and Chinese consumers, visit LuxuryInstitute.com.

About Luxury Institute (www.LuxuryInstitute.com)
The Luxury Institute is the objective and independent global voice of the high net-worth consumer. The Institute conducts extensive and actionable research with wealthy consumers about their behaviors and attitudes on customer experience best practices. In addition, we work closely with top-tier luxury brands to successfully transform their organizational cultures into more profitable customer-centric enterprises. Our Luxury CRM Culture consulting process leverages our fact-based research and enables luxury brands to dramatically Outbehave as well as Outperform their competition. The Luxury Institute also operates LuxuryBoard.com, a membership-based online research portal, and the Luxury CRM Association, a membership organization dedicated to building customer-centric luxury enterprises.