Borrowed Luxury

Implications - In 2009, we discovered 'Rental Culture,' in which consumers were renting everything from art to apparel in an effort to save money during the recession. Now, consumers have more discretionary income at their fingertips and are thus going bigger with their rentals. Renting a couture gown or luxury vehicle is less costly than actually purchasing it, which helps to alleviate feelings of buyer's remorse or guilt, and they also allow the less wealthy the chance to reward themselves with some much-deserved indulgence, if only for a day or two.