Key Stat: The share of US adults who say quality materials define luxury dropped from 55% in 2021 to 49% in 2025, while those citing 'expensive' as the defining trait rose from 52% to 62%, according to an October report from Ipsos.

Beyond the Chart:

• Price and quality are not a linked as you would think. In fact, only 14% of US beauty buyers believe that higher prices indicate better quality products, according to Circana. Source: Beauty demand holds, but price concerns reshape spending
• Meanwhile, the wealthiest 10% of households, those earning $250,000 or more, now account for half of all US consumer spending, up from about one-third in the early 1990s, according to Moody's. Source: Affluent consumers keep spending—even as tariffs dampen broader demand

Use this Chart:

Drop this in your brand positioning deck when defending premium pricing strategies. Show this to your team when they're debating brand positioning in your storytelling.

Related Reports:

• Luxury Ecommerce 2025: Retail's Top Tier Seeks New Paradigms for Growth (EMARKETER subscription required)
• US Luxury Consumers and Their Path to Purchase: Our Exclusive Research Highlights How Shoppers Buy From High-End Brands (EMARKETER subscription required)

Methodology: Data is from the October 2025 Ipsos report titled "What the Future: Indulgence." 1,120 US adults ages 18+ were surveyed online during August 13-14, 2025.