DETROIT – All Margaret Rahaim of Grosse Pointe, Mich., wants to see under the Christmas tree this year is a little luxury – a Ralph Lauren silver and turquoise choker necklace that sells for $995.

“I think I’ll have my husband buy it for me for Christmas,” said Rahaim, who was trying on the necklace Dec. 1 at the new Ralph Lauren store at Somerset Collection in Troy, Mich. “There’s nothing I really want but this choker and peace.”

Rahaim is among a growing segment of the population bolstering the bottom lines of luxury retailers. The luxury segment has done so well in the past 18 months many upscale retailers are opening new stores and weeding out lower-priced items to retain an exclusive aura that lures the wealthiest consumers.

Michael Niemira, chief economist for the International Council of Shopping Centers, said the luxury sector is expected to be the big winner during the holidays for several reasons.

“People in the middle have moved to higher price points, better-quality goods. In a sense, there is a lopsided demand toward the top end,” he said. “The highest income strata spends four times what the lowest strata does. So if you want to err on a side, you want to err on the side that has the money.”

Total retail sales for November rose by 1.7 percent, on a year-over-year basis, according to figures released Dec. 2 by the ICSC. But in the luxury segment, sales increased by 5.2 percent compared to 1 percent for discount retailers and 2 percent for department stores.

Top-end retailers are moving away from entry-point merchandise and more toward the one-of-a-kind items with price tags that rebuff all but the well-heeled.

Niemira said higher gasoline and heating oil costs this year have not penetrated the wallets of the upper-income tiers.

Those consumers also have been helped by a rise in non-wage income from interest and dividends in the past year. In October, dividend income rose 9.2 percent, he said, and interest income was up 2.4 percent.

Along with improvements in the stock market and high consumer confidence in the high-income households, this holiday season promises to ring the bell for luxury retailers, Niemira said.

Polo Ralph Lauren Corp. spent months renovating its 16,000-square-foot store that opened in November near the Neiman Marcus store at Somerset.

While Ralph Lauren departments are staples at area department stores, the Somerset store features exclusive luxury items such as the men’s Cooper duffel bag for $3,000, cashmere sweaters for dogs at $95, mink and coyote throws for up to $4,000 and women’s silver, leather and turquoise conch belts for $6,500.

“This level of luxury is kind of an investment luxury. There is a value to the timelessness. It isn’t a seasonal thing,” said Charles Fagan, executive vice president for global retail brand development at Polo Ralph Lauren, during a recent tour of the store.

Luxury is not defined only in terms of high-ticket items, said Karen Mac Donald, spokeswoman for Taubman Centers Inc., which manages or owns 22 malls including Twelve Oaks in Novi, Mich., and Fairlane Town Center in Dearborn, Mich.

“Luxury can mean so many different things,” Mac Donald said. “Luxury can be a cup of coffee if you go and spend $4 on a Starbucks coffee versus $1 for a regular cup. We are seeing people trading up, absolutely.”