Arghavan Nia and Judith Lynne Zaichkowsky
The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions and attitudes of original luxury brand owners towards counterfeit luxury goods. The results indicated that all respondents…
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions and attitudes of original luxury brand owners towards counterfeit luxury goods. The results indicated that all respondents found luxury products fun and worth the price they paid for them, whether they were original or counterfeit. Almost 30 percent of respondents owned no counterfeits and only original goods. These respondents believed that counterfeits were inferior products and believed that ownership of original luxury products was more prestigious compared to counterfeit luxury goods. Conversely, those who owned more counterfeits had a positive image of them and did not believe these products were inferior. Overall, 70 percent of respondents indicated that the value, satisfaction, and status of original luxury brand names were not decreased by the wide availability of counterfeits. Further, the majority of respondents disagreed that the availability of counterfeits negatively affects their purchase intentions of original luxury brands.
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Ying Wang, Shaojing Sun and Yiping Song
Purpose – The purpose of this study was to explore Chinese consumers’ motivations for purchasing luxury products, and to unravel the interrelationships among individual…
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this study was to explore Chinese consumers’ motivations for purchasing luxury products, and to unravel the interrelationships among individual differences, motives, and luxury consumption.
Methodology – Data were collected from general consumers living in a large cosmopolitan city of China. A total of 473 questionnaires provided usable data and were analyzed using SPSS.
Findings – Eight motives were identified: self-actualization, product quality, social comparison, others’ influence, investment for future, gifting, special occasions, and emotional purchasing. Results showed that personal income, age, the motives of gifting, others’ influence, and product quality were significant predictors of luxury spending. Younger consumers, who did not typically make plans before buying, were more likely to buy luxury products out of emotion and less likely to do so for self-actualization or future investment.
Research limitations – The conceptualization and operationalization of some concepts used in this study (e.g., luxury brands, luxury consumption, and motives) may not be robust. Social desirability bias could comprise the validity of some research findings.
Originality – Despite a large body of research on luxury consumption, to date, most studies have been conducted in Western developed countries. Past research has showed that the symbolic and social values related to luxury consumption are deeply embedded in culture. As such, it is meaningful to investigate luxury consumption in China, whose culture is vastly different from the West.