Yoox recently listed suede Brunello Cucinelli trainers for €617, nearly half their official retail price. Shoppers could also grab a beige Gucci miniskirt at close to 50 percent off, while Burberry T-shirts went for under €200. Roughly 2,500 discounted items from those three luxury houses sat on the platform.
Such aggressive markdowns signal mounting pressure across the high-end sector. Even affluent buyers now hesitate before spending, a shift forcing labels to reconsider long-held practices.
Luxury fashion and leather goods makers traditionally resist discounting or offloading surplus inventory. Price cuts erode the exclusive image these brands carefully cultivate. For years, many opted instead to destroy unsold merchandise rather than let it reach bargain bins. That practice has drawn fierce criticism and now faces an outright ban within the European Union, where several industry giants maintain headquarters.
Loopholes persist, potentially permitting continued destruction under specific conditions. However, the EU’s broader sustainability push will soon confront luxury companies with difficult operational choices.
Regulators aim to reshape how fashion handles excess stock. Brands must now weigh brand protection against environmental responsibility and legal compliance. The coming months may reveal whether heritage houses embrace circular models, expand off-price channels discreetly, or find other methods to safeguard their mystique without running afoul of new rules.
