By: If You Can’t Buy It, Rent It : Perspective Magazine - Timeshare & Leisure Property News & Reviews

Tue, 20 May 2008 20:37:27 +0000

[...] In an economic slump, will luxury shoppers turn to services that lease diamonds and It bags? Luxury retailers may be on the ropes, their once-avid shoppers heading for the exits. But the economic malaise gripping the country could have a silver lining for a small but growing section of the luxury market, one that rents to women what they can’t afford to buy—or, possibly, keep. Over the past several years, a handful of businesses that rent high-end accessories has sprung up. They are the descendants of the shops that rented designer formal wear for special occasions, cousins of rental and fractional-ownership businesses offering everything from destination vacations to yachts, jets, and collectible cars. Industry watchers believe such luxury rental businesses may benefit from the pain retailers are beginning to feel as gyrations in the stock and housing market cause even well-heeled customers to pull back on spending. The economic downturn “will focus the minds of people on what the alternatives are to full ownership and help accelerate the growth of the industry,” says Milton Pedraza, chief executive of the Luxury Institute, a New York-based research firm. “I think long-term, people will realize that instead of owning an asset you can just buy the experience.” Michele Krause, founder of Bling Yourself, says her customer base has grown between 20 and 40 percent a month since she launched her jewelry-rental business last July, and that the economic slowdown has had “no impact” on the number of new customers or rentals. Another such enterprise, From Bags to Riches, which rents and sells handbags, is even expanding, preparing to launch spinoffs in Canada, South Africa, and the United Kingdom within the next three months. “We think our business will increase fairly dramatically this year because it is a value-driven proposition,” says Sam Mangiere, co-founder of From Bags to Riches. Top-line sales growth for his three-year-old company was up 57 percent so far this year, compared with the same period in 2007. Mangiere says about 50 percent of the growth has come from rentals. Read the full story at http://www.ownersperspective.com/if-you-can%e2%80%99t-buy-it-rent-it/ [...]

By: If You Can’t Buy It, Rent It : Daily Timeshare and Hospitality News - The Timeshare Blog

Tue, 20 May 2008 13:40:27 +0000

[...] The Latest Timeshare & Hospitality News If You Can’t Buy It, Rent It El Cid Resorts Extends Contract For A Decade Shell Vacations’ Napa Resort Ranked 5th On Expedia® Insiders’ Select™ List Of Best Hotels And Resorts Absolute Launch Hong Kong Fly-Buy Programme Starwood To Present At The Seventh Annual JMP Securities Research Conference On Tuesday, May 20th, 2008 Emaar Hospitality Group Plans To Enter Timeshare Market UK Timeshare Industry Comes Home To Scotland Kouroushis Lion Resorts Merge With Trustwise Holiday Resorts Interval International Promotes Charlie Beech To Director Of The Project Management Office NCG Architects Wins Prestigious ARDA 2008 Award For Best Resort Design Robert C. Wengel RRP Becomes Star Resort Group Principal Diamond Resorts International® Wins Five Gold ARDY Awards At The American Resort Development Association’s 2008 Convention Solstice Announces Ownership Restructuring Timeshare Staff Ltd Expands Its Reach In Booming Markets Of Dubai, Egypt & India Sheraton® Hotels & Resorts Partners With Microsoft To Keep Guests Connected On The Road Main Street Inn Receives Insiders’ Select Award From Expedia 3PAR Customer Hilton Grand Vacations Webcast: Blueprint For The Virtual Datacenter Record Breaking Attendance At Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Conference Westin Hotels & Resorts Expands Into Queensland, Australia Wyndham Hotel Group Appoints International Development Executive DAE Gets Right Behind New Consumer Version Of Perspective Magazine Hilton Hotels New York Timeshare InnQuest Software Canada And Ownerrelations Technology Form Alliance To Deliver Fractional Ownership, And Condo Hotel Software Solution Kaua’i Welcomes The Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas The Luxury Collection Hotels & Resorts Unveils Signature Travel Services Interval International Hosts Info-Exchange Seminar Artificial Reefs Create Increased Scuba Diving Tourism Opportunities For Florida Communities Interval International Sponsors 12th Annual Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Investment Conference Starwood Plans To Double Hotel Portfolio In Region (Middle East) Construction Spending in 2007 Totaled USD$ 1.7 trillion Trading Places International Selected For Resort Management At Kahana Falls In Maui Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. Appoints Thomas E. Clarke, Ph.D To Board Of Directors Starwood Hotels & Resorts Names Jeff Cava Executive Vice President And Chief Human Resources Officer OTE Road Show Edinburgh, Thursday 22nd May 2008 Starwood Hotels & Resorts Names Phil McAveety Chief Brand Officer Brand Tango Named South Florida Business Journal Technology Awards Finalist Is Gordon Driving People To Move Overseas? Island Fractional Homes Offers Fractional Ownership In Kauai Villa Hilton Makes History With Topping Off Of First Purpose-Built Timeshare Project In Manhattan W Hotels Debuts In Europe With The Opening Of W Istanbul RCI Adds Nassima Tower As Its Newest Affiliated Property In Dubai Timeshare Realty Market In Dubai Will Touch $1bn Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter Featured at Dover Business Forum Wyndham Worldwide and Women on Their Way Join with Martha Stewart to Celebrate Women of Achievement Wyndham Vacation Ownership Launches SmarterVacations.com The Registry Collection® Program Adds IFA Hotels And Resorts’ Exclusive New Vacation Club As Its Newest Affiliate Developers Begin To Show Support Of New Owners Perspective Magazine, With Absolute Group Being First Off The Mark Take A Virtual Vacation On YouTube With “Vacation With Timeshare” Video See For Yourself Why Millions Wouldn’t Vacation Any Other Way SPI Vacation Ownership Software Selected by Spinnaker Resort Affiliate, Southwind Management Corporation Top Awards For San Diego Architecture And Design Firm NetJets In Derby Sponsorship Deal Ultimate Resort Exclusive Agreement Signed with University College London UK Based Timeshare Resale Companies Enters Mainstream TV Advertising Arena Westin Hotels Get Specially Designed Nintendo Wii Jamaica To Introduce Timeshare Legislation Vacation Ownership Expert Appointed Director Of Sales, European Operations For Diamond Resorts International® The Westin New York At Times Square Celebrate Release Of “Sex And The City” Movie Vacational Ownership Opening Many Dubai Doors Timeshare Exchange Program Offers Asian Cruises Industry Leading Air Ambulance Company, AirMed International, Partners With Mayo Clinic And Exclusive Resorts 4 Users Online If You Can’t Buy It, Rent It May 20, 2008 In an economic slump, will luxury shoppers turn to services that lease diamonds and It bags? Luxury retailers may be on the ropes, their once-avid shoppers heading for the exits. But the economic malaise gripping the country could have a silver lining for a small but growing section of the luxury market, one that rents to women what they can’t afford to buy—or, possibly, keep. Over the past several years, a handful of businesses that rent high-end accessories has sprung up. They are the descendants of the shops that rented designer formal wear for special occasions, cousins of rental and fractional-ownership businesses offering everything from destination vacations to yachts, jets, and collectible cars. Industry watchers believe such luxury rental businesses may benefit from the pain retailers are beginning to feel as gyrations in the stock and housing market cause even well-heeled customers to pull back on spending. The economic downturn “will focus the minds of people on what the alternatives are to full ownership and help accelerate the growth of the industry,” says Milton Pedraza, chief executive of the Luxury Institute, a New York-based research firm. “I think long-term, people will realize that instead of owning an asset you can just buy the experience.” Michele Krause, founder of Bling Yourself, says her customer base has grown between 20 and 40 percent a month since she launched her jewelry-rental business last July, and that the economic slowdown has had “no impact” on the number of new customers or rentals. Another such enterprise, From Bags to Riches, which rents and sells handbags, is even expanding, preparing to launch spinoffs in Canada, South Africa, and the United Kingdom within the next three months. “We think our business will increase fairly dramatically this year because it is a value-driven proposition,” says Sam Mangiere, co-founder of From Bags to Riches. Top-line sales growth for his three-year-old company was up 57 percent so far this year, compared with the same period in 2007. Mangiere says about 50 percent of the growth has come from rentals. These kinds of businesses cater to two basic types of consumers, says Greg Shove, C.E.O. of Halogen Guides, a luxury-trend tracker: aspirational buyers trading up to a product or lifestyle they cannot afford or consumers who can afford to buy but want more choices. Even in a protracted recession, Shove says, rental companies benefit because they “make luxury more affordable.” Pedraza believes luxury-goods makers will, in fact, move into the sector themselves, just as established players such as Wyndham Worldwide and Ritz-Carlton have entered the destination-club market. “You get cash flow up front, what should be recurring revenue, and you can arbitrage the inventory by paying wholesale [and renting retail],” he explains. Manufacturers, however, aren’t clamoring to send their product out to rental houses. Lisa Roman, marketing director for Breitling, says her company does not rent its high-end watches—many of which sell for $20,000 to $30,000—and has no plans to do so. “Most of our customers purchase their watches to keep and collect,” she explains. Read The Full Story At: http://www.ownersperspective.com/if-you-can%e2%80%99t-buy-it-rent-it/ [...]

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By: If You Can’t Buy It, Rent It : Perspective Magazine - Timeshare & Leisure Property News & Reviews

By: If You Can’t Buy It, Rent It : Daily Timeshare and Hospitality News - The Timeshare Blog