I have been a rather passionate patron of Swarovski jewelry to date.
And I was blissfully browsing in a Swarovski boutique recently, admiring their 2011 A/W collection, when this very chic ring caught my eye.
It is everything I love in colour - deep purple and kingfisher!
And I have its cousins in red and black (featuring star shaped crystals).
But what made my blood freeze is the price.
The US price is $270.
The Japanese price is 36,700yen, or US$470.
Just how does Swarovski plan to justify that price difference???
OK, we are used to brands charging a 30% premium, or maybe even 50%.
But 74%???
What do they take us Japanese girls for???
And they wonder why consumption in Japan is going down. ARGH!
I am totally ticked off by this and feel absolutely offended!!!
And I was blissfully browsing in a Swarovski boutique recently, admiring their 2011 A/W collection, when this very chic ring caught my eye.
It is everything I love in colour - deep purple and kingfisher!
And I have its cousins in red and black (featuring star shaped crystals).
But what made my blood freeze is the price.
The US price is $270.
The Japanese price is 36,700yen, or US$470.
Just how does Swarovski plan to justify that price difference???
OK, we are used to brands charging a 30% premium, or maybe even 50%.
But 74%???
What do they take us Japanese girls for???
And they wonder why consumption in Japan is going down. ARGH!
I am totally ticked off by this and feel absolutely offended!!!
The 2010 Big Mac Index says US was $3.73 vs. Japan being 320 yen or $3.67
ReplyDeleteSo, should brands still charge the Japanese consumer a premium?