With c. 40% of the UK's income at their disposal, AB's have been key to marketers of luxury/premium goods but historically difficult to target. In its original guise the VIPer Consortium set out to understand this influential group and challenge the myth that they were just an amorphous mass of spending power. This was achieved through continuous dialogue with a 1,000 AB strong panel, qualitative work and Semiometrie. For results please see the 'Retrospective' section.

However, with the rise of the 'mass affluent' and the 'democratisation of luxury' over the past decade, luxury is no longer the preserve of AB's. Individuals now have greater access to money through affluence, credit or 'Trading Up, Trading Down' shopping strategies and greater awareness of objects of aspiration; business' keen to seek out growth in maturing markets have launched a plethora of luxury diffusion lines and premium basic commodities affordable by 40% of the population.

So in 2006 a more pertinent question was "what does luxury mean in a society which can afford a little bit in at least one aspect of their lives?" The VIPer Consortium set out to re-define luxury by talking to those who actually buy luxury/premium goods & services rather than just a demographic. The outcome was the 'Re-defining Luxury' Conference.

For more details contact: Kerry Brown at