Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Burberry: And I Thought It Was All Chav's



If you live in England or watch TV shows on BBC America you will probably know what the term 'Chav' refers to! A 'Chav' is a stereotypical young person in the United Kingdom. The typical "chav"- known also as a charverin Yorkshire and North East England - is said to be an aggressive teenager, typically unemployed or of white working class background who repeatedly engages in anti-social behavior, such as street drinking, drug abuse and rowdiness, or other forms of juvenile delinquency, as defined by Wikipedia. 

When I think of 'Chav', I think of Burberry like most others. However, here in the US market Burberry is seen as a luxury product in the minds of consumers and this is how Burberry strive to position the brand internationally and are successful in most markets, especially here in the US. 

So, I recently was surprised to hear that Burberry Group Plc Chief Executive Officer in the UK Angela Ahrendts said demand for the retailer’s luxury items, like a 2,395-pound ($3,700), leather-sleeved coat, show “no signs of slowing down” in the U.K., which is good to hear. I would have thought in recent years with all the 'Chavs' sporting Burberry, high income consumers would have felt the brand was tarnished and opted for another luxury brand. So perhaps the 'Chavs' have decided to opt out of buying 'fake off the lorry' Burberry apparel and have decided to bring down the name of another luxury apparel brand?

“Things are getting better every day,” Ahrendts said in an interview at the retailer’s autumn/winter fashion show in London this week. The Asian region is “very strong,” she added, while emerging markets are also showing growth.
The U.K. luxury retailer is offering lower-priced versions of its gabardine trench coats and expanding its handbag and shoe ranges to drive profit growth globally. The U.K. and Hong Kong each account for less than 10 percent of sales, according to the CEO. 
Curious to see a 'Chav' sporting some Burberry apparel? Click here. 

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