And affluent consumers pay $75 to just under $1,000 for them.

Some event organizers say companies are increasingly eager to give product samples to affluent consumers.

Analysts saw this as an attempt to reach younger, more affluent consumers.

So it concentrated on features and a feel that affluent consumers, those with income of at least $100,000, would appreciate, she said.

"We have a strong middle-class clientele, so it's not just the affluent consumers that are generating the business."

The weakness of the domestic economy has, for the first time in recent memory, turned the affluent Japanese consumer into a bargain hunter.

But to grow further, they are aiming most of the new products at older, more affluent consumers.

High energy costs and a "fragile" employment picture could cause less affluent consumers to tighten spending, he said.

The company, which is based in Rochester, also said it wanted to do a better job of selling sunglasses to young, affluent consumers.

There are fewer of the young, affluent consumers now than in past years, data show.