What this video taught me was that during the post-pandemic years, mid-tier luxury brands like Chanel and Louis Vuitton suffered sales slowdown while ultra luxe brands like Loro Piana and Delvaux still saw an uptick despite catering to a very small number of clientele. This is because mid-tier brands cater mainly to the middle class who want to flaunt the aspirational brands, hence, the screaming logos. When inflation went through the roof, the middle class stopped spending and saved instead whereas the 0.1% of the economic pyramid is nonplussed. They still spent on top cashmere for their regular wear. The middle class? They buy these brands as a treat, not as a regular shopping item, like underwear or usual grocery item.

It’s like what I wrote about a couple of years ago in an article, the sit-down dining restaurants (such as Bistro Group or Moment Group restos) are the ones that are greatly affected during economic difficulties because their major market—the middle class—goes down a notch lower to dine at quick service restaurants. Perfect example of price elasticity of demand.

So what am I driving at? Nothing. I am just wondering about where investors should be placing their money. Should they place their bets on businesses that cater to the middle class that are price sensitive? Or on businesses that cater to the mass market since the sheer volume can make up for the price elasticity of products geared towards this market? 🤔

Why am I thinking about this? As a business journo, I should be paying attention to such things because these musings direct me to ask more probing questions.

Speaking of investments, my friend, M, egged me to try crypto currency. While I don’t believe in that shit—because there is no rhyme nor reason behind that thing—I tested it just to be able to delve into the world of crypto trading to educate myself. I joked to him that I will just invest so I can buy myself a Nintendo Switch. So as of this moment, it’s up 14.6% and I don’t understand how and why when these digital assets are being minted daily in huge amounts. I also want to see how it would behave when gold is up/down, when fixed income markets are shot, or when equities are yo-yoing. Meanwhile, M, placed a huge amount on this silly game of his. I told him, you are a business journalist and yet you succumbed to this scam. 🤦🏻‍♀️I’m just in this for the silliness of it, akin to buying lotto tickets just in case stars aligned.

My indoor cats were keeping a watchful eye over me while I was sitting in my pseudo-balcony because Ampon had been trying to get inside my house through my bedroom window (she figured out a way how to climb the emergency exit balcony). Ampon is desperately trying to get adopted as an indoor cat but of course my two suplada tricolor would have none of it. So as consolation, I sat outside to keep her company or else I would have her yowling by my bedroom window at 3 am (which she had done several times).

But then Sushi and Kimchi are a jealous lot so they went out on the cat ledge to guard me. They kept meowing at me, telling me to get inside.

What have I gotten myself into? 🤦🏻‍♀️