Gen Z Shifts From Luxury Bags to Marathons: Impact on Luxury Brands

Gen Z is reshaping luxury consumption, trading Birkins and handbags for fitness status—running marathons and gym memberships. In 2025, the New York City Marathon saw 59,226 participants, including 11,000 aged 25–29, the largest 20s cohort yet. A Vogue Business survey found 72% of Gen Z luxury shoppers prefer affordable dupes to Hermes Birkins due to affordability and a preference for tangible, low-tech experiences over digital ones. This shift follows a 3% dip in overall luxury spending in early 2025, with personal luxury goods contracting from $435B in 2023 to $429B in 2024, per Bain & Co. Brands like Prada are capitalizing by offering bite-sized, experiential luxuries, such as logo-latte cafes, to build long-term loyalty as the generation awaits more stable macroeconomic conditions.