Stevens, Pa. – July 21, 2010 – Luxury marketers have enjoyed a few brief quarters of spending patterns that seemed to be returning to a pre-recession 'normal,' but Unity Marketing's exclusive Luxury Consumption Index has stalled at 78.3 points in July 2010 as affluent consumers reflect uncertainty about prospects for the economy in the next three months. Because the LCI has proven a reliable predictor of consumer behavior, this stalling is reason for concern.

In one of the five key measures that make up the index, significantly more luxury consumers (36 percent) say the country as a whole is worse off now as compared with three months ago; that reflects a rise from only 31 percent who said the same in March 2010. This according to a survey of 1,349 luxury consumers conducted from July 3-8, 2010 (Average income $306.7k and net worth $15.2 million; 44.8 years; 45 percent male and 55 percent female).

Value positioning key for luxury success through third and fourth quarters 2010 Commenting on what the latest findings from Unity Marketing's Luxury Tracking Study project for the luxury market through the end of the year, Pam Danziger, president of Unity Marketing said, "Without a doubt the luxury consumer market is in a much better place today than it was a year or so ago, but the latest survey warns marketers not to ease up or be over-confident that the recession's effect on the luxury market are over.

"Nearly three out of four luxury consumers surveyed believe that the recession continues, which in turn impacts spending on luxury goods and services. Marketers are advised to continue to position luxury as a value proposition, by keeping luxury connotations and image up front in advertising, packaging and service, but communicating in a very subtle, almost one-on-one way, affordable pricing," Danziger explains.

Among the findings in the latest Luxury Tracking Study: