I was struck by a social media coverage of a collaboration between Miu Miu and the Flamingo Room restaurant at Bujairi Terrace. From the moment a visitor steps in until they leave, every detail reflects different facets of the brand. The entrance, the décor, the menu, and even the side activities were infused with fresh touches of Miu Miu. I say fresh because while the brand is already renowned in the fashion world — a regular at fashion week with a loyal clientele and a steady draw for new customers — this collaboration offered something distinctly new.

This collaboration raises a key question about what today’s luxury customer truly seeks: are they looking for a product, or for a moment to live through? Here lies the importance of understanding the psychological shifts driving purchasing behavior.

A study published by Cornell University found that most people derive greater happiness from spending money on experiences rather than on purchases or possessions. Their behavior while waiting in line for an event, for instance, differs markedly from waiting in line to buy a product. The former is usually free of stress or frustration, unlike the latter.

This study reinforces what we observe in the positive impact of experiences that focus on enhancing quality of life, such as art exhibitions and cultural events.

This idea is further supported by another study from the University of Houston, which examined people’s behavior after the COVID-19 pandemic reshaped everyday life patterns. The concept of “luxury” has since expanded; no longer measured solely by what we own, but also by what we live and experience. Researchers observed a rise in hotel bookings made just a few days, or even a single day, before travel, indicating a sudden passion for living in the moment rather than planning for ownership.

This psychological shift is not temporary; it has become a global pattern embraced by both people and brands alike.

To support this article, Mansoooj conducted a poll on X, asking: Would you choose a luxury product or an enjoyable trip? The result was decisive, travel won by a landslide.

This shift is reflected not only in consumer behavior but also in how brands promote their products. Today’s influencer doesn’t just showcase an item on a table or against a perfect backdrop; they take their followers along for the journey: from entering the store to receiving the product, from the packaging experience to the candid reflections on how the purchase made them feel.

The journey itself has become part of the product. This transformation reveals the direction luxury brands are taking, building a holistic experience that does not end at the point of sale but begins there.

In a time when tastes converge and replicas multiply, the story and the experience emerge as the true tools of distinction. Hence, brands strive to be more than just a logo on a bag, but a memory to be shared and a moment to be celebrated.

Luxury Experiences on Social Media

Luxury brands recognize the importance of maintaining an active presence on social platforms and understand the need for that presence to reflect their visual and symbolic identity. Exclusive experiences for their clients have proven to be one of the most effective ways to achieve this.

Whether through pop-up stores or by celebrating public occasions such as Suhoor gatherings or holiday festivities, brands reinforce the idea that they are not merely selling a product but offering a complete lifestyle experience.

Brands also recognize people’s love of capturing memories through photographs and sharing them with friends. The exclusivity of these spaces creates an emotional impact on the visitor, allowing the brand to win in multiple ways: once by delighting loyal customers, once by strengthening its image among new ones, once through indirect exposure on social platforms, and once by encouraging spontaneous, unplanned purchases.

How Do You See Your Favorite Brand Beyond the Boutique?

Brands today understand that the luxury of experience is not limited to digital platforms; it must also be translated into their physical spaces. Miu Miu is not the first to branch out in this way. There is also Ralph’s Coffee by Ralph Lauren, Tiffany & Co.’s Blue Box Café, Prada Café, and many more.

Luxury brands’ investment in restaurants and cafés serves long-term strategic goals, chief among them bringing the customer back into the store. Competition with digital platforms has grown intense; the latter require no effort or time, yet they lack emotional connection, which makes them easy to forget. Physical experiences, on the other hand, are lived, remembered, and shared again.

To Live an Experience With All My Senses… Is Better Than Owning a Product

It is no surprise, then, that brands are moving from the boutique to the hotel, and from the product to the feeling.

This awareness of shifting desires is reflected in their expansion beyond traditional retail into luxury hospitality. We’ve seen it in the Armani Hotel, designed personally by Giorgio Armani, and the Fendi Hotel in the Alps.

Just as global brands have redefined the shape of luxury, perhaps it is time for us to ask: where and how do we want to see our local brands? From what angle do we give them the chance to be lived? And is our bond with them rooted in the need for the product, or in a deeper sense of belonging?

This article is supported by the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) and the Cultural Development Fund as part of the #Ithra_Arabic_Content_Initiative.