France’s luxury bonfires: why designer brands burn billions in bags

On Weird Geo Economy, we explore the luxurious side of economic madness — and nothing screams elite insanity like France’s designer bonfires.

In this episode, we uncover how top fashion houses in France — think Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Hermès — destroy billions worth of unsold handbags, shoes, and apparel every year. Not because they’re defective. But to protect “brand value.”

Yes, you read that right. Instead of discounting or donating unsold items, many luxury brands incinerate them. Why? Because exclusivity is priceless — and nothing ruins a brand faster than seeing last season’s $3,000 bag on clearance racks or eBay.

We unpack the bizarre economics of artificial scarcity, luxury psychology, and why keeping inventory rare matters more than saving money. It’s wasteful. It’s strategic. It’s fashion economics at its most brutal.

And with France introducing laws to stop the destruction of unsold goods, the industry is scrambling to reinvent its wasteful ways without sacrificing its golden illusion.

Subscribe to discover more absurd financial decisions dressed up as strategy.
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