Read more luxury stories on Newserhttp://www.newser.com/taggrid/11775/luxury.html2009 - Newseren-usNewser Feed GeneratorTue, 24 Nov 2009 11:46:28 CSThttp://www.newser.com/story/71118/neiman-fantasy-gift-pricetags-plummet-to-mere-250k.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagThe slowdown in luxury spending has spurred Neiman Marcus to make its "fantasy items" in this year's Christmas catalog a lot less fantastic than in years past. For the first time in a decade there's no $1 million-plus items on offer, like the $20 million submarine offered in 2000 or...http://www.newser.com/story/71118/neiman-fantasy-gift-pricetags-plummet-to-mere-250k.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagWed, 07 Oct 2009 3:39:38 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/69879/japan-loses-its-taste-for-luxury.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagHundred-dollar melons and pricey designer handbags used to sell so well in Japan that companies considered luxury goods a mass-market sector. But while the Japanese kept on shopping through previous recessions, this one has produced a sea change. The luxury industry has been hard hit, and the change may be...http://www.newser.com/story/69879/japan-loses-its-taste-for-luxury.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagMon, 21 Sep 2009 7:31:20 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/65782/find-a-second-home-afloat-for-less.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagA boat makes a great getaway home, but mooring and maintenance can turn ownership into an expensive hassle. A few alternatives have cropped up that offer the pleasures of sea living without requiring the vacationer to buy in hook, line, and sinker, USA Today reports: The World . The first condo...http://www.newser.com/story/65782/find-a-second-home-afloat-for-less.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagFri, 31 Jul 2009 15:40:01 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/63364/luxury-labels-flaunt-green-cred.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagAs traditional luxury good buyers make way for a new generation of eco-conscious consumers, luxe brands are jostling to show off their planet-saving credentials, the Wall Street Journal reports. Firms like Louis Vuitton and Tiffany are snapping up eco-friendly firms, introducing new lines, and using green themes in their advertising...http://www.newser.com/story/63364/luxury-labels-flaunt-green-cred.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagThu, 02 Jul 2009 7:02:42 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/62221/campgrounds-add-perks-redefine-roughing-it.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagThe purer pleasures of the outdoors don’t seem to be enough for some campers anymore, the New York Times reports. Increasingly, campgrounds are offering amenities like pizza delivery, air-conditioning, kiddie rides, and valet service to the delight of families and owners’ balance sheets. “The objective is to maximize dollars,” one...http://www.newser.com/story/62221/campgrounds-add-perks-redefine-roughing-it.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagThu, 18 Jun 2009 13:11:35 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/61761/high-end-media-strikes-back-at-luxury-bashing.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagTired of watching its affluent readership attacked, upscale media outfits are striking back at their mainstream press brethren, Johnnie Roberts writes in Newsweek . Brett Andersen, editor of the high-end monthly Robb Report , had led the charge by blasting the “demonization of the wealthy and the industries that cater to them,...http://www.newser.com/story/61761/high-end-media-strikes-back-at-luxury-bashing.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagSat, 13 Jun 2009 19:00:43 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/60275/pricey-yoga-mats-defy-recession.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagConsumers are cutting back in all sorts of ways amid the recession—just not when it comes to yoga. Sales of designer mats, which fetch in the ballpark of $100, are surging, reports Time . One leading company, Manduka, has seen sales shoot up 87% on Amazon in the last 4...http://www.newser.com/story/60275/pricey-yoga-mats-defy-recession.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagWed, 27 May 2009 19:50:39 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/59693/cash-strapped-country-clubs-welcome-the-public.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagStruggling country clubs have decided to ditch their exclusiveness to stave off extinction, the Washington Post reports, slashing fees and opening facilities to the public. Long-standing members often sniff as dress codes vanish, nachos replace filet mignon on menus, pickup trucks appear in parking spots, and the public floods in—...http://www.newser.com/story/59693/cash-strapped-country-clubs-welcome-the-public.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagThu, 21 May 2009 8:39:47 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/55522/tiny-hotels-offer-nyc-at-micro-prices.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagNew York is expensive, even to visit. A hotel in Manhattan can cost $300 a night, and even deep into the other boroughs, you’re not likely to pay less than $129. But a few hotels have moved to provide affordable nightly accommodation—by cutting down on room size, NPR reports....http://www.newser.com/story/55522/tiny-hotels-offer-nyc-at-micro-prices.html?utm_source=syn&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tagTue, 07 Apr 2009 16:06:41 CDT