Combating the touts that buy up special edition sneakers to resell at inflated prices, Nike is releasing its Access Codes scheme. But is this new sales approach more than a pathway to a better shopping experience? Is it feeding our need to be part of the insider crowd?

The most recent incarnation of the classic Hermès handbag costs $14,900. The Birkin Sellier 40 is only available in matte black. It’s 40 centimetres long, takes up to 20 hours to craft and the waiting list to get one is years long. The Birkin was born in 1984, but its aura is as exclusive as ever.

M&S may be the place you go for a five-pack of pants rather than key fashion pieces, but in an attempt to push sales of its Autograph brand – which is firmly targeted at Gen Y – uniform-wearing sales assistants will be swapped for stylists dressed head-to-toe in Marks and Sparks.

As emerging economies transform the consumer base for high-end goods, luxury is moving out of range of all but the very richest. The fashion industry is rushing to fill the gap, as the notion of aspiration is remodelled to appeal to a diverse range of consumers – and budgets.