2025 – A VUCA Year!
It’s that time of the year again and as we reflect on the year that’s passed, the term VUCA comes to mind. A framework used to describe the unpredictable and chaotic year that’s passed, the acronym stands for Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity.
Needless to say, our clients have witnessed all these in their businesses, as senior leaders struggle to navigate in complex and everchanging market and consumer landscapes. Markets increasingly shaped by geo-political events across the globe.
As a business we work with brands to stay ahead of these challenges by sticking to our core DNA, that being, AGILITY. A word that defines our agile approach to looking at opportunities and working with brands to hedge risks across their product portfolios and markets.
Where one may be down in a certain market, there are ups in others. Where one consumer segment may not be spending as much on a category, another is.
This approach applied across the 7 key verticals we cover and across 35 markets have helped us stay nimble, alert and use cutting edge insights to steer our clients through choppy waters.
The Luxury Leader Roundtables
Our Luxury Leader Roundtables from London to Tokyo and across 6 key cities in between have brought senior leaders together in closed door sessions where insights and experience sharing helps to answer common challenges faced.
The first UAE Roundtable took place this year at the Jumeriah Al Marsa and brought leaders from across 20 brands together in what is an increasingly lucrative market for brands looking for growth from HNW and UHNW consumers.
These signature roundtables are our community of leaders who learn, share and collaborate to stay ahead in hypercompetitive markets.
Harnessing AI towards predictive analytics
Our AFFLUENTIAL TrendLens™ and WealthLens™ data and insights subscriptions continue to grow providing clients with 24/7 data and insights at their fingertips through our DataVault™ platform. Infused with AI and strong data partnerships with companies like Bernstein and Global Blue to name a few we are working hard to give brands the cutting edge and timely insights into changing consumer behaviour and trends by predictive and forward-looking insights that can unlock growth.
The Launch of our Wealth Roundtables
This year we formally launched our Wealth Roundtables given increasing scope of work with banks, insurance and financial services firms who are keen to tap into the HNW and UHNW consumer. Our inaugural session at the private members club 67 Pall Mall in Singapore to unveil the brand rankings of top banks and insurance firms was attended by the top institutions in Singapore.
Our consulting and strategic advisory work in this space continues to grow as the financial services firm seeks to understand the people behind the wealth.
LuxeTalk: Our proprietary community of HNW and UHNW – Our Niche Continues to Expand
Amongst all the global volatility and change we see happening, the affluent and HNW consumer base continue to show strong growth, with a more than 25% increase of HNW individuals in key markets around the world. Driven mostly by asset growth, crypto assets, entrepreneurs exiting their businesses and buoyant real estate markets, these HNWIs, with their continued resilient spend, continue to be the lifeblood for many brands.
What lies ahead in 2026?
One thing for certain is that VUCA will continue. Brands that leverage data and insights and apply a special lens to the growing cohort of HNW and UHNW consumers increasingly seeking experiences and engagement that are different from mainstream brands will continue to thrive.
The green shoots of luxury revival after a brutal 2024 and a returning Chinese luxury consumer show promising signs of a cautious optimism ahead. However brands need to also be cognisant of opportunities that lie in markets like the Middle East, India, SE Asia and Africa where significant wealth still looks to spend.
As we look ahead, we are excited about the opportunity to partner more closely with you—helping you navigate uncertainty, uncover growth opportunities, and turn insights into action. We look forward to working together in 2026 and beyond.
We wish you and your teams a wonderful holiday season and a healthy, successful start to the New Year.
Warm regards,
