ARE CHAVS RUINING THE BURBERRY BRAND?

According to today's Sunday Telegraph the luxury Burberry brand is being devalued by its popularity with the wrong sort of consumer. UK sales of its camel check among the fahsionable elite have fallen in consequence of its popularity among 'chavs' (a pejorative term for a low-income social group obsessed with brand names, cheap jewellery and football). Retailers who stock Burberry products say there is a growing negative association with the brand as the national obsession with chav culture has flourished, thanks to extensive tabloid coverage of the phenomenon and derogatory websites such as chavscum.co.uk.

The news item reports that some leading retailers claim sales of Burberry products have been hit hard, dropping in some cases by as much as 40 per cent over the past year. One retailer said sales were down by "well over" 30 per cent on 12 months ago. Another household high street name is believed to be considering whether to continue stocking so many Burberry products. "It is just hideous," said one retailer.

A Burberry spokesman said that UK sales had been subdued, but added that the UK represents "a small percentage of Burberry's sales". Burberry says that the famous camel check appears on less than 10 per cent of its clothes. Earlier this month Burberry reported an 18 per cent rise in first half underlying profits.

The IPKat's co-owner Jeremy actually published a short note quite recently in Trademark World on the phenomenon of the wrong customer. If you want to see it, click here.

What not to wear here, here and here
Power dressing here ; power undressing here