The Wealth of Nations. Shifted.

 

What do British butlers and our global economy have in common? Both are experiencing a ripple effect as super-rich clients in the Middle East, Asia and Russia create substantial luxury demand in some of the fastest growing markets in the world. This demand has created entirely new industries in cities previously without any high-end establishments, and local businesses are only just beginning to mature to the eclectic—and expensive—tastes of millionaires and billionaires alike.

Such spending has especially benefitted butlers from England who undergo rigorous training to serve their wealthy clients. Butler schools have ramped up hiring and invested in classrooms and faculty as titans from far flung regions request only the best service for their ever-expanding collection of manses.

Luxury brands have opened up thousands of stores in emerging markets over the past five years at a pace that shows little signs of slowing. Louis Vuitton has nearly 50 store openings planned for the next two years in China alone, while other fashion houses such as Burberry and Dior have all announced similar plans for expansion. Local businesses such as construction firms, real estate brokers, and local banks are in turn driving local hiring and spurring further need for increased governmental spending on infrastructure as cities continue to be built almost overnight.

Entrepreneurs in these countries have built on this growth by identifying opportunities that may seem evident in established economies, yet remain untapped by their local markets. But translating that into international success hasn’t always been easy, as the lack of globally recognized Middle Eastern and Asian luxury brands remain scant. The metaphor for potential undeniable as Asian and Middle Eastern clients continue to call Britain for butlers for a service that such work deserves.