Sacrifice and Waste: Ritualizing Overstock Destruction in Contemporary Luxury

In contemporary luxury markets, overstock destruction emerges as a form of ritual suppression that conceals surplus while performing a bespoke act of power and distinction. Building on Mauss’s insights into gift exchange and Bataille’s theory of expenditure, my paper reinterprets unsold luxury goods' obliteration as a sacrificial act that expunges excess and reaffirms exclusivity. By engaging with the sociology of ritual, I demonstrate that this deliberate practice creates a unique symbolic order, simultaneously suppressing visible overabundance and challenging market norms. Through a comparative analysis grounded in ritual theory, I argue that the notion of expenditure is not merely economic but also ritualistic, serving as a critical commentary on contemporary luxury consumption. This study offers a nuanced perspective on how bespoke ritual practices in luxury not only resist commodification but also reconfigure distinction and symbolic power in modern economic life.