Calvin Klein, Christian Dior and Gucci are the UAE’s top luxury brands of the moment, but if money were no object Chanel and Louis Vuitton are the most coveted, according to UAE results from the Nielsen Global Luxury Brands Survey being released at the Leaders of Luxury Summit which starts in Dubai tomorrow. According to the 51-country Global Luxury Brands survey conducted by Nielsen, one in three (31%) UAE consumers said they currently buy designer brands, and UAE designer shopaholics are the world’s biggest fans of Christian Dior, Givenchy and Fendi. “Survey results revealed that three out of five UAE consumers have shopped at Calvin Klein and Christian Dior, and one in three have shopped at Gucci,” said Piyush Mathur, regional managing director of UAE, North Africa and Pakistan for the Nielsen Company. “Gucci, Christian Dior and Calvin Klein clearly understand that strong brands make for profitable businesses. They are not merely selling fashion, they are selling an image, something consumers are willing to pay a premium for.” UAE shoppers ranked second globally as the biggest fans and purchasers of Gucci (31%) and Chanel (21%), and third globally for Giorgio Armani (19%). “Unlike most countries in the survey which chose two or three luxury brands as their clear favourites, UAE consumers stood out for their purchasing habits of several high-end fashion brands,” noted Mathur. “When consumers globally were asked what designer brands they currently buy, UAE consumers featured in the top global five nations for buying a plethora of brands including Christian Dior, Gucci, Chanel, YSL (Yves Saint Laurent), Valentino, Giorgio Armani, Versace, Givenchy, Fendi and Bottega Veneta,” said Mathur.

UAE also topped global rankings in believing that designer brands are of significantly higher quality than standard products (43%). Three in five (59%) of UAE consumers said people wear designer brands to project social status. “Consumers here are willing to pay high prices for quality products that they believe will provide instant social status. As the future survival of leading fashion houses depends on brand longevity, it is no surprise that the world’s leading names in luxury have flocked to open stores, restaurants and hotels in the UAE in recent years,” said Mathur. “The rapid economic growth and new wealth of this country is best demonstrated by consumers’ insatiable appetite for luxury designer brands. The luxury brand has become an integral part of UAE lifestyle, and our national obsession with luxury brands has propelled Dubai into a leading international shopping and luxury tourism destination.” While only seven percent of UAE consumers claim to currently buy Louis Vuitton, if money were no option the brand would be top of the list for 21 percent of UAE consumers. Similiarly, while one in four (21%) of UAE consumers currently buy Chanel, if price were not a concern 30 percent said they would buy Chanel. The survey also unveiled untapped potential for luxury fashion brands in UAE to expand their apparel business into other products such as mobile phones, laptops, flat screen televisions, MP3 players and even kitchen appliances. “Our survey tells us UAE consumers certainly don’t believe that luxury brands should be restricted to apparel only and there are many retail opportunities savvy marketers can take advantage of.” In the survey, 57 percent of UAE consumers said they would buy luxury branded mobile phones (compared to a global average of 34 percent); 46 percent would buy fashion-branded laptops (global average of 29 percent); one in three UAE consumers (33 percent) would be happy to buy a fashion-branded flat screen TV (global average of 22 percent) and one in four UAE consumers would also buy luxury fashion-branded MP3 players and kitchen appliances.