Luxury Institute's 2006 Luxury Brand Holiday Gift Guide

Wealthy Americans Create Peer-to-Peer Luxury Brand Recommendations

NEW YORK, NY -- (MARKET WIRE) -- November 02, 2006 -- Because wealthy consumers are the most profitable customers for luxury retailers, the holiday shopping period is paramount to the bottom line. And so, the Luxury Institute is pleased to present this objective holiday guide on how the wealthy rate and rank the firms that do business with them across leading luxury categories.

Not a demographic that is prone to fads and trends, in addition to personal taste, the wealthy will do their gift buying based largely on a company's reputation and standing with fellow wealthy consumers. The 2006 Luxury Brand Holiday Gift-Giving Guide relies on brand status ratings and rankings by wealthy consumers of luxury retailers and companies operating in 18 categories, including fashion designers, fragrances, hotels, casinos, cruise lines, jewelry, ultra-luxury watches, etc...

Buoyed by stock market gains to counter the effects of the slowdown in real estate, luxury consumers are in good financial shape and in a mood to spend significantly on gifts this holiday season. The brands listed have cultivated a strong image with their best prospects and customers and should reap significant rewards this holiday season.

Milton Pedraza, CEO, Luxury Institute

Automobiles

Luxury Autos
Porsche pulls ahead of the pack in terms of overall brand prestige. Gifts from Mercedes or Lexus would not disappoint either, the two brands which round out the top three most prestigious brands in the automotive category.

Ultra-Luxury Autos
In the market for wheels selling north of $100,000? Rolls Royce rolled higher one spot from 2005 to overtake Maybach as the most prestigious ultra-luxury auto name. Maybach ceded all but one of the pillars of luxury brand status to Rolls, but it topped the list of 10 ultra-luxury makes in social status. Bentley also finished near the top of the rankings, and is the brand that the wealthy are most likely recommend to family and close friends.