Vitamix blenders are 8-10x the cost of a normal blender and have a cult like following. With the right branding home appliances can also double as a status symbol in American kitchens.
This is the typical market dynamic. The high end (Vitamix) is a bit more than twice the mid-range option, and then there is a long tail going way way down.
I agree a $1300 blender (ie, 8 * $165) is a luxury play. But Vitamix seems more just a normal high-end quality play rather than luxury. Their most expensive blender is $729 list price[2] but comes with a bunch of extra features (wireless jug detection?!) to justify the cost. Luxury brands don't try to justify costs: the cost is the feature.
"Normal" isn't a particularly useful label here, and Vitamix aren't 8-10x when you compare like-for-like (in terms of capacity and other features).
The Wirecutter recommendations[1] (which is a pretty decent way of seeing what the market is like) are:
Our Pick: Vitamix 5200, $397
Runner Up ("A more-affordable but less-durable blender"): Oster Versa Pro Series Blender, $280
Also Great: Cleanblend Blender, $165
Budget pick: KitchenAid K150 3 Speed Ice Crushing Blender, $100
This is the typical market dynamic. The high end (Vitamix) is a bit more than twice the mid-range option, and then there is a long tail going way way down.
I agree a $1300 blender (ie, 8 * $165) is a luxury play. But Vitamix seems more just a normal high-end quality play rather than luxury. Their most expensive blender is $729 list price[2] but comes with a bunch of extra features (wireless jug detection?!) to justify the cost. Luxury brands don't try to justify costs: the cost is the feature.
[1] https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-blender/
[2] https://www.vitamix.com/us/en_us/shop/smart-system-blenders