Has the pandemic altered luxury consumption and marketing? A sectoral and thematic analysis

Abstract

This study analyzes the literature available on consumer luxury consumption and the marketing of luxury products during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Scopus database was utilized to search for research on luxury products during the pandemic. The study followed the SPAR-4-SLR procedure, with 59 articles analyzed using VOSviewer to provide network and density visualization. Triangulation of analysis was conducted using NVivo as the software offers rigor in the systematic literature review. The VOSviewer network and density visualization show that the analysis of the luxury industry literature can be elucidated by sectors and themes. The results indicate that the majority of the literature on luxury discussed hospitality, especially the hotel setting, followed by luxury fashion and tourism. Many sectors, such as luxury automotive, beauty, arts, and so forth were overlooked. Online landscape, branding, social responsibility, communication, sustainability, the self, and culture are the dominant themes in literature. The study sheds light on important themes, sectors, and research gaps, benefiting academic scholars and industry practitioners in understanding and navigating the challenges and opportunities in the luxury market during crises.