luxury goods – News Stories About luxury goods - Page 5

Feb 25, 2008 8:15 PM CST

Not Your Parents' Russian Vodka

Premium imports, in fancy bottles, begin to arrive on US shores

(Newser) - If a shot of Georgi isn’t your style, Russian vodka makers are rushing to sell a new wave of premium bottles, the Los Angeles Times reports. Vodkas from France, Finland, and the US have gained popularity stateside over the past few years, but buyers couldn't find anything Russian other...

How to Be Middle-Class Rich

Feb 21, 2008 10:26 AM CST

How to Be Middle-Class Rich

You don't have to have über-big bucks to spend like you do

(Newser) - Middle-class millionaires are carving out a luxe lifestyle to define their 16.5-million strong group, Forbes reports. And while the $1 million to $10 million stashed in the bank doesn’t make them all that rich, that doesn't put much of a dent in lavish spending habits:

Mega-home improvements, to

...

Italian Church Pairs Perfume With Prayer

Feb 20, 2008 1:00 PM CST

Italian Church Pairs Perfume With Prayer

Opened in Dante's time, pharmacy today sells scents in LA, Tokyo

(Newser) - Florence's Santa Maria Novella church has an intriguing sideline: It's home to one of the world's oldest pharmacies, which today churns out tonics and perfumes made according to medieval recipes. Smithsonian profiles the church, where Dominican monks began concocting herbal remedies and rose water, used to clean plague-touched homes, more...

Made in Italy — in a Chinese Sweatshop

Feb 20, 2008 9:21 AM CST

Made in Italy — in a Chinese Sweatshop

Italian luxury goods made by Chinese labor cost 90% less

(Newser) - For consumers of luxury goods, the "Made in Italy" designation remains so prestigious that it can add 300% to an item's price. But the days of artisans plying their trade in little workshops are largely over, the Los Angeles Times reports, replaced by thousands of Tuscan factories employing Chinese...

Investors Uncork Wild Wine Prices

Dec 30, 2007 6:50 PM CST

Investors Uncork Wild Wine Prices

Internet, foreign funds make even second-tier wines pricier

(Newser) - Investors are uncorking a new area of speculation these days: fine wine. Thanks to the Internet, which has turned an elite hobby into a worldwide auction, prices are overflowing. Buyers can even throw money at vino investment funds and an electronic trading exchange based in London, which is up 39%...

Nokia Wins Big on Luxe Phones

Dec 24, 2007 4:25 PM CST

Nokia Wins Big on Luxe Phones

Decked-out cell phones seen as status symbol for mega-rich

(Newser) - Nokia is enjoying increasing success with its Vertu subsidiary, a maker of luxury cellphones, as a super expensive phone becomes a status symbol for the mega-rich. Der Spiegel reports that Vertu phones, which come diamond- or gold-encrusted, make the iPhone look absolutely pedestrian with a price range from $6,500...

Online Buyers Want Blenders, Not Diamonds

Dec 24, 2007 3:03 PM CST

Online Buyers Want Blenders, Not Diamonds

Luxury takes a backseat to the practical this season

(Newser) - With a shaky economy causing consumers angst this holiday season, online e-tailers say shoppers are opting for functional over frivolous. E-sales of furniture and appliances have spiked more than 70%, while sales of jewelry, watches, and flowers have dropped, reports the New York Times. “It’s certainly counter to...

Campbell's Sells Godiva

Dec 21, 2007 11:59 AM CST

Campbell's Sells Godiva

Soup maker gets $850M, will focus on core businesses

(Newser) - To ensure that its bottom line stays “M'm! M'm! Good,” the Campbell Soup Company sold its upscale Godiva chocolate brand yesterday for $850 million. Yildiz Holding of Turkey beat out Starbucks and Hershey’s to nab the Belgian chocolatier, which racks up $500 million in annual sales, the...

Stocks Rise as Traders Find Signs for Optimism

Sep 6, 2007 4:52 PM CDT

Stocks Rise as Traders Find Signs for Optimism

Spending, productivity outpace estimates

(Newser) - US stocks rose today, Bloomberg reports, boosted by news that back-to-school and luxury shopping outpaced forecasts, along with a spike in worker productivity and a slowdown in labor costs. The Dow climbed 57.88 to 13,363.35. The Nasdaq gained 8.37 to finish at 2,614.32, and...