Back in 2021, a champagne shortage in the Hamptons led to at least one wealthy denizen of the Long Island enclave dispatching a private jet to France to pick up fifteen cases of champagne for a birthday party.
The sort of wealth that enables such indulgence is both a blessing and a curse for luxury brands. A blessing, in that if a buyer wants your product, little is going to stand in the way of acquiring it. A curse, in that such buyers don’t operate by the normal rules and they certainly aren’t going to subject themselves...