Sustainability within the French luxury consumer-goods market: The role of business and consumer demand
Date
2010
Authors
Simkus, Lisa
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Bachelor of Commerce Best Business Research Papers
Abstract
The business case for sustainability is becoming one of the most important considerations for businesses today. Although there have been large improvements in reporting, transparency and sustainable initiatives in many industries, the consumer goods luxury market is failing to meet the mark. Evidence for this is found in the WWF’s Report that ranked ten luxury businesses in terms of their initiatives. No company was ranked higher than a C+. The purpose of this paper is to explore the French luxury industry as a market leader with the power and influence to shape the sustainable development of this industry. In particular, the initiatives of French luxury conglomerate, LVMH, are explored as an archetypal corporation within the industry with the power to shape consumer tastes. Although there does seem to be a drive towards sustainability within the luxury goods industry, these initiatives and reports put out by luxury companies are often seen as “greenwashing”. Therefore, this paper explores what the true drivers behind adopting sustainability are. The hypothesis raised it that consumer demand for sustainability has perhaps the greatest influence. As such, a survey was conducted of French and Canadian citizens to compare their awareness and demand for sustainability; it was found that there is less awareness and demand for sustainability within France. This paper will argue that this difference is due to a culture that highly values luxury as part of their cultural capital. As such, it is up to businesses to use their influence and make sustainability the new consumer trend.
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Citation
Simkus, L. (2010). Sustainability within the French luxury consumer-goods market: The role of business and consumer demand. Bachelor of Commerce Best Business Research Papers, 3, 71–85.