Reviewing the tendencies above, many people turn to premium or luxury brands when thinking about buying or renting used products. They are known for their high-quality, durable items. Although other than quality, the perception of exclusivity is also a basic component of luxury. A luxury good is a desirable item that is expensive and difficult to obtain. People collect their money for years, to purchase a Birkin bag or a pair of Louboutins. Rentals make luxury accessible, which might ruin the exclusivity of these brands. Wearing luxury comes with psychological effects and emotions such as heightened self-image and feeling unique. The process of renting makes these emotions available at a lower price, which affects the brand’s equity– the customer’s perception of the brand’s financial worth- negatively. Brands have to decide whether they are shifting towards renting and catering a broader sector or they are not pursuing the sharing process to keep their exclusivity.
As mentioned before, collaborative luxury consumption has many psychological advantages concerning the evaluation of the user experience. Feeling eco-conscious, being able to experiment with new products and benefitting from the interactions and connections that come along with the renting process. Although if we analyse the essence of luxury brands, promoting these sharing possibilities might have a negative effect on a brand’s image. Companies must come up with new distribution strategies to keep up with the changing customer needs, but still retain their position as an exclusive luxury brand.