When finances are tight, most people prioritize cost-effectiveness, functionality, and avoiding waste when spending money. However, when finances improve, happiness becomes the primary factor in spending. Even if something is useless, the joy of purchase is acceptable. Even spending 50% more for an extra 10% is acceptable, which is one source of the so-called "rich people's intelligence tax."
Any price exceeding its normal use value stems from emotional value. The higher the emotional value, the higher the premium. Different people have different needs for emotional value; therefore, the market produces products with the same use value but offering completely different emotional values, such as a regular bag and a luxury bag of the same style. One source of brand premium is the emotional value demanded by a segment of the population.