​Redefining luxury consumption in the age of Artificial Intelligence​

Closes:
Journal
European Journal of Marketing
Guest editor(s)
​​Victoria-Sophie Osburg, Dina Khalifa, Jonas Holmqvist, Vignesh Yoganathan,

Introduction

​​The concept of luxury is undergoing significant changes in the digital age, merging traditional ideas of exclusivity and craftsmanship with innovative digital experiences. Technology increasingly influences our daily lives as luxury brands increasingly apply digital tools to enhance the customer experience (Holmqvist et al., 2020a), reshaping the luxury markets and fundamentally altering how luxury is perceived, experienced, and consumed (Sanz-Lopez et al., 2024; Shukla, Cakici & Khalifa, 2024) Additionally, changing societal norms and consumer expectations require luxury brands to engage in new ways, such as through brand activism (Khalifa & Osburg, 2025). This transformation impacts how luxury brands connect with consumers and deliver value (Javornik et al., 2021). 

Virtual contact points are increasingly replacing or supplementing human interactions, providing personalized and seamless experiences. Consumers can now display their luxury consumption on social media (Michaelidou et al., 2022) and explore and interact with luxury products through immersive virtual experiences, such as digital flagship stores, which blur the lines between physical and digital realms (Pantano et al., 2022). Furthermore, digital technologies enable unprecedented levels of personalization (Larivière et al., 2017).

As luxury services represent a rapidly growing sector (Wirtz et al., 2020), integrating service robots in luxury retail presents a complex landscape of opportunities and challenges. Robots can enhance efficiency and create novel customer experiences, but their integration into luxury settings may also threaten the human-centric approach despite that some luxury consumers prefer a strong human interaction and/or taking on an active role themselves (Holmqvist et al., 2020b; 2023). This situation presents a dilemma for luxury brands, particularly regarding how much they should substitute or augment human staff to provide the best customer experience (McLeay et al., 2021).

Moreover, entirely new avenues for luxury consumption are emerging. Virtual real estate, for instance, has become a new opportunity for luxury investment and expression, with the market for virtual luxury goods projected to reach $50 billion by 2030 (Forbes, 2024). Digitalization can also empower consumers, for instance, the use of Blockchain can increase traceability, allowing consumers to follow the entire production process and supply chains of their products (Holmqvist & Kowalkowski, 2023; Mahmoud et al., 2025). 

These examples illustrate how luxury consumption is undergoing fundamental changes in the digital era. At the same time, there are also risks involved, and some luxury brands deliberately limit their digital interactions to retain exclusivity (Holmqvist et al., 2021). As luxury brands navigate these drastic changes, it is essential to understand consumer reactions toward these newly emerging forms of luxury. As luxury consumption becomes more widespread, understanding the impact this has on consumers becomes crucial (Shukla et al., 2022), and the role technology plays in this context. A theory-driven approach is needed to thoroughly examine whether luxury consumption should be redefined in the digital age. Moreover, the discourse on the (in)compatibility of sustainability and luxury consumption must be adapted to the digital context, as new ethical and responsibility-related questions may arise (Osburg et al., 2021, 2022, 2024).

List of Topic Areas

  • Drivers of consumer adoption of technological solutions in luxury markets
  • The evolving understanding of luxury among consumers in the digital age
  • The impact of digital technologies on luxury value perceptions and consumer experiences
  • Consumers' preferences and needs regarding the joint implementation of technology and a human touch in luxury consumption
  • Consumer reactions to virtual luxury goods and experiences
  • Consumer agency and engagement in luxury through digital tools
  • Tensions that consumers face when brands integrate luxury with technology
  • Luxury brands’ opportunities to navigate technological innovation while maintaining brand heritage
  • Managing the paradox of the ephemerality of technology with the permanence of luxury brand identity
  • The role of social media and influencers in shaping digital luxury consumption, including virtual influencers
  • The integration of physical and digital luxury experiences in omnichannel strategies
  • Consumers' ethical considerations in virtual luxury markets, including sustainability, traceability, and inclusivity
  • Generational differences in the adoption of digital luxury experiences and how luxury brands can cater to cross-generational consumer needs 

Submissions Information

Submissions are made using ScholarOne Manuscripts. Registration and access are available at here. 

Author guidelines must be strictly followed. Please see here.

Authors should select (from the drop-down menu) the special issue title at the appropriate step in the submission process, i.e. in response to “Please select the issue you are submitting to”.  

Submitted articles must not have been previously published, nor should they be under consideration for publication anywhere else, while under review for this journal.

Key Deadlines

Opening date for manuscripts submissions: 03/06/2026

Closing date for manuscripts submission: ​30/11/2026

Guest Editors

​​Victoria-Sophie Osburg, Professor of Business Administration and Psychology, Catholic University Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, Germany, [email protected]​

​​Dina Khalifa, Senior Lecturer, Regent’s University London, UK, [email protected]​

​​Jonas Holmqvist, Professor of Marketing, KEDGE Business School Bordeaux, France, [email protected]​

​​Vignesh Yoganathan, Professor of Marketing, Aston University, Birmingham, UK, [email protected]​ 

References

Forbes (2024). The Metaverse Is Much More Than A Cool New Channel For Luxury Brands. Retrieved 15 January 2025, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/stephanegirod/2023/03/29/the-metaverse-is-much-more-than-a-cool-new-channel-for-luxury-brands/

Holmqvist, J., & Kowalkowski, C. (2023). Traceability in luxury: Harnessing B2B relationships to enhance ethical practices in the luxury industry. Industrial Marketing Management, 111, 257-267.

Holmqvist, J., Wirtz, J., & Fritze, M. P. (2020a). Luxury in the digital age: A multi-actor service encounter perspective. Journal of Business Research, 121, 747-756.

Holmqvist, J., Wirtz, J., & Fritze, M. P. (2021). Digital luxury services: tradition versus innovation in luxury fashion. Services Marketing: People, Technology, Strategy, World Scientific, Singapore, 2021, 550-2.

Holmqvist, J., Visconti, L. M., Grönroos, C., Guais, B., & Kessous, A. (2020b). Understanding the value process: Value creation in a luxury service context. Journal of Business Research, 120, 114-126.

Holmqvist, J., Wirtz, J., & Issandou, A. (2023). Research note: Conceptualizing agentic luxury in luxury services. Journal of Services Marketing, 37(9), 1113-1119.

Javornik, A., Duffy, K., Rokka, J., Scholz, J., Nobbs, K., Motala, A., & Goldenberg, A. (2021). Strategic approaches to augmented reality deployment by luxury brands. Journal of Business Research, 136, 284-292.

Khalifa, D., & Osburg, V. S. (2025). Can brand activism benefit luxury brands? Psychology & Marketing. doi: 10.1002/mar.22183

Larivière, B., Bowen, D., Andreassen, T. W., Kunz, W., Sirianni, N. J., Voss, C., ... & De Keyser, A. (2017). “Service Encounter 2.0”: An investigation into the roles of technology, employees and customers. Journal of Business Research, 79, 238-246.

Mahmoud, A. B., Kumar, V., Berman, A., Elhajjar, S., & Fuxman, L. (2025). Knowledge, attitude and practice towards blockchain potential for digital marketing: scale development and validation. European Journal of Marketing.

McLeay, F., Osburg, V. S., Yoganathan, V., & Patterson, A. (2021). Replaced by a Robot: Service Implications in the Age of the Machine. Journal of Service Research, 24(1), 104-121.

Michaelidou, N., Christodoulides, G., & Presi, C. (2022). Ultra-high-net-worth individuals: self-presentation and luxury consumption on Instagram. European Journal of Marketing, 56(4), 949-967.

Osburg, V. S., Davies, I., Yoganathan, V., & McLeay, F. (2021). Perspectives, opportunities and tensions in ethical and sustainable luxury: Introduction to the thematic symposium. Journal of Business Ethics, 169, 201-210.

Osburg, V. S., Yoganathan, V., McLeay, F., & Diallo, M. F. (2022). (In) compatibilities in sustainable luxury signals. Ecological Economics, 196, 107430.

Osburg, V. S., Yoganathan, V., Bartsch, F., Diallo, M. F., & Liu, H. (2024). How sustainable luxury influences product value perceptions and behavioral intentions: A comparative study of emerging vs. developed markets. Journal of Business Ethics, 191(4), 713-738.

Pantano, E., Pedeliento, G., & Christodoulides, G. (2022). A strategic framework for technological innovations in support of the customer experience: A focus on luxury retailers. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 66, 102959.

Sanz-Lopez, F., Gallego-Losada, R., Montero-Navarro, A., & García-Abajo, E. (2024). Is the digitalisation the future of the luxury industry?. Heliyon, 10(21).

Shukla, P., Cakici, N. M., & Khalifa, D. (2024). Should luxury brands display their logos prominently? Implications for brand authenticity, coolness and behavioral intentions. European Journal of Marketing, 58(1), 290-312.

Shukla, P., Rosendo-Rios, V., & Khalifa, D. (2022). Is luxury democratization impactful? Its moderating effect between value perceptions and consumer purchase intentions. Journal of Business Research, 139, 782-793.

Wirtz, J., Holmqvist, J., & Fritze, M. P. (2020). Luxury services. Journal of Service Management, 31(4), 665-691.

Please note that it is not a requirement of submission for authors to cite these works