Navigating the Sustainability–Luxury Paradox: Bibliometric Insights and Research Directions

Abstract

Sustainable luxury integrates environmentally conscious practices with high standards in luxury offerings, propelling the growth of this market. But how navigable is this paradoxical alliance between luxury and sustainability? Accordingly, research in this domain has also taken a fillip. The present study provides a comprehensive understanding of the field's current state and offers future directions through a bibliometric analysis. We employ bibliographic coupling, citation analysis, keyword analysis, and cluster analysis using Biblioshiny and VOSviewer to map the intellectual structure of sustainable luxury by analysing 301 articles (1986–2004). We present insights into sustainable luxury literature, including authors, highly cited papers, popular journals, regional publication trends, and keyword analysis. The cluster analysis reveals five key research clusters: sustainability in luxury and fashion, sustainable practices in luxury hospitality, the sharing economy, corporate social responsibility (CSR) and ethical considerations in the luxury sector, and luxury sustainability strategies and consumer roles in conspicuous luxury consumption. It highlights that consumer perceptions of durability, CSR, and cultural identities shape sustainable luxury consumption. It emphasises the need to reconsider traditional economic dynamics due to the rise of second-hand luxury and the sharing economy. Based on our synthesis, we propose research questions for future exploration by employing the Theory, Context, Characteristics, and Methods framework and incorporating inputs from expert practitioners in the sustainable luxury domain.