BY KRYSTINA GUSTAFSON for CNBC
"The value of a discretionary item rests in the eye of the beholder—particularly in the high-end luxury market, where price tags rely more on a shopper's aspirations than on the product's actual worth. As a result, luxury brands including Hermes and Louis Vuitton have been marking up prices over the past few years, as rising stock markets, improving home values and an overall stronger economy make the rich even richer. But are high-end brands in danger of alienating wealthy shoppers, who are increasingly spending their fortunes on experience-driven purchases such as travel?"
