Introduction

Abstract

Research on luxury goods, brands and consumption is currently in vogue. The body of literature is growing, and luxury seems to be everywhere in our lives. Whether this means extended availability or is simply a trendy marketing term, it causes confusion: what is luxury? This introductory chapter positions the book by describing the contemporary context and phenomenon of luxury in general. Turunen introduces the relevance of the chosen approach—the consumer perspective—and summarizes other approaches relevant to making sense of the luxury concept.