ESCP Europe

Item type

Study and report

Publication year

2025

Note

• OPUS

LVMH is the world’s leading luxury firm, with strategic acquisitions playing a central role in its growth. This case study examines LVMH’s takeover of the German luggage manufacturer Rimowa in 2016 and traces Rimowa’s development following the deal. It explores how LVMH integrated Rimowa into its conglomerate, reshaped its strategy through diverse product extensions, frequent high-profile collaborations, and exclusive distribution channels, and repositioned it to appeal to (younger) luxury consumers. The case further analyzes the cultural and managerial challenges of incorporating a German Mittelstand firm into a French multinational luxury group. It concludes by raising questions about the 2024–2025 slowdown of the luxury industry, the ongoing digitalization of (luxury) firms’ processes, and increasing pressures to address sustainability concerns.