1

Impact iof iLuxurious iclothing ibrands ion iconsumer ibuying ibehavior

Hashir iFaisal

16u03044

Research iproposal isubmitted ito ithe iLahore iSchool iof iEconomics iin ipartial ifulfillment iof ithe

Requirements ifor ithe idegree: iMajors iin iMarketing iand iMinors iin iMedia i4th iYear

Supervised iby: iMa’am iAeman iNadeem

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Table of Contents
i i

Introduction......................................................................................................................................3

Status iBranding..........................................................................................................................3

Luxury iBrands:...........................................................................................................................3

Influence iof iStatus ion ipurchase iof iLuxury iBrands:.............................................................3

Objective iof ithe iStudy: i...........................................................................................................5

Literature iReview...........................................................................................................................5

Theoretical Framework..................................................................................................................10

Research iMethodology.................................................................................................................12

3.1 iSampling, iDistribution iand iparticipant ibackground......................................................12

3.2 iQuestionnaire iDesign........................................................................................................14

Questionnaire.................................................................................................................................15

Questions iabout iLuxurious iClothing......................................................................................15

Questions iabout iGoods iand iServices....................................................................................17

Bibliography..................................................................................................................................25
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Introduction
Status Branding: A status brand is a brand of consumer goods that can upsurge the social
i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i

i status iof iits iowners i[ CITATION Bel17 \l 1033 ]. iIn imany icases, ia istatus ibrand iadvises istatus

i within ia iparticular icommunity ior isubculture, iand iit imay inot ihave ithe isame irepute ior isupremacy ito

i confer iprestige ioutside ithose icommunities ior igroups. iThe isignificance iof ithe ibrand imay ihave

i little ito ido iwith iprice ipoints iand imore ito ido iwith ithe ibrand's ipopularization iby iinfluences iwithin ia

i particular icommunity i[ CITATION Hol11 \l 1033 ].

Luxury Brands: Luxury is no longer limited today to only the rich and the chosen few but is
i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i

i being iused ifor imass imarketing inow i[ CITATION Net15 \l 1033 ]. iThe iconcept iof iluxury ihas ibeen

i changing iintensely iacross itime iand iculture. iEarlier, iluxury iwas iassociated iwith ithings ilike iwines,

i champagne, istylish iclothes iand isports icars. iThese idays, ipeople ihave ibecome iwealthier iand iluxury

i is ia iblurred igenre ithat iis ino ilonger ithe ipreserve iof ithe ibest. iMore iand imore iconsumers ihave

i increased itheir ieconomic istatus ias ithe iold ivalues iof itradition iand inobleness ihave ibecome iless

i important i[ CITATION Vig14 \l 1033 ]. iPeople iare ihaving imuch imore ione-use iincome iin

i comparison ito iearlier igenerations, iresulting iin ia itrend itowards ifulfilling ipersonal ineeds iand

i ambitions ithrough iexperience.

Influence of Status on purchase of Luxury Brands: Marital status is one of the

i i i i i i i i i i i i i

i significant idemographic ivariables iwhich ican ihave ian ieffect ion ipurchase ibehavior iof iluxury

i brands i[ CITATION Sul13 \l 1033 ]. iPeople iof idifferent imarital istatus ican ianswer iback

i differently ito ithe inumerous ifeatures iof iluxury ibrands. iThey imay iwant ito iconsumption ithem ifrom

i different iplaces ior ilook ifor idifferent iscopes iof iluxury ivalue. iThe iawareness iof idifferent iluxury
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i values ilike iefficient ivalue, ieconomic ivalue, iindividual ivalue iand isocial ivalue ican ibe idifferent ifor

i people iof idissimilar imarital istatus i[ CITATION Vig141 \l 1033 ].

Brand ithese idays ihave ibecome ia istatus ifigure. iCustomers iall iover ithe iworld inow idesire ibranded

i products i[ CITATION Ahu16 \l 1033 ]. iBut iwhy iis ithe iquestion. iIs iit ithe iquality ithat iappeals

i customers itowards ibrand ior isome iother ilinked iaspect? iThis istudy iis itargeted iat iexploring ithe

i effect iof istatus ibranding ion iconsumer ibuying ibehavior. iAlong iwith ifinding ithe iresult iof istatus

i brand ion iconsumer ibuying ibehavior ithe ipurpose iof ithe istudy iis ito ihave ian iin idepth iknowledge iof

i why iare ipeople iattracted itowards ithe iStatus ibranding.

Studies iin iluxury ibrand iconsumption ihave idoubled iin irecent iyears, iwith ibranding ipractitioners

i and iacademics ikeen ito iexplore ithis iUS$ i180 ibillion iindustry i[ CITATION Dat17 \l 1033 ]. iIn

i particular, ithe istrength iof ithe iluxury ifashion ibusiness iin ithe iface iof ithe irecent iand iongoing iglobal

i recession ihas ifuelled iinterest iin ithis iarea i[ CITATION Sul13 \l 1033 ]. iThe iappeal iof

i international iluxury igoods ican ibe ia iresult iof itheir iperceived ipremium iquality, irecognizable istyle,

i reputation, iand/or ilimited iaccessibility. iIn ithe iperceptions iof ithe iowners iand iothers, ithese

i characteristics isignify iemotional, iexperiential, iand/or isymbolic ivalues i[ CITATION Ber14 \l

1033 ].

Marketers iuse ibrands ias ito iget ithe icompetitive ibenefit ion iother icompetitors iplaying ian iimperious

i role iin ithe isuccess iof icompanies i[ CITATION Jen14 \l 1033 ]. iBrand iholds ian iexcessive

i importance iin iconsumer’s ilife. iConsumer’s ichoose ibrands iand ihope ithem ithe iway ithey itrust itheir

i friends iand ifamily imembers ito iavoid iinsecurity iand iquality irelated iproblems. iPakistan ihas ia

i positive igrowing ieconomy iand ithe iFashion iindustry iof ithe icountry ihas iadvanced ienormously iin

i the irecent iyears. iThe iincreasing iuse iof ifashion igoods iand ithe ideveloping imarket ihas ifascinated

i foreign ias iwell ias ilocal ibrands ito iprovide ifacilities ito iits icustomers.
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In ispite iof ithe iconsiderable ivolume iof iresearch iin ithis iarea, imuch iremains ito ibe iunderstood iabout

i the irelationships iamong ithe imotivating ifactors ibehind ithe ipurchase ibehavior ifor iluxury ibrands

i [ CITATION Oko12 \l 1033 ]. iAccording ito i[ CITATION Ber14 \l 1033 ], i“the iluxury ibrands iare

i poorly iunderstood iand iunder-investigated”. iThis igap iin iconsumer iresearch iis inot iunique ito ithis

i specialist iarea. iAs i[ CITATION Arn151 \l 1033 ] iand i[ CITATION Lye15 \l 1033 ] inoted,

i academics istill ihave ilimited iknowledge iwith iregard ito igeneralizing iconsumption iprocesses iand

i outcomes. iFor ithis ireason, ithe iaim iof ithis istudy iis ito iprovide inew iinsights iinto itheorizing ithe

i consumption iof iluxury ibrands iby iintegrating iexisting iframeworks iwith iempirical itesting. iThe

i findings ifrom i1,380 iparticipants’ iluxury ibrand ipurchase ibehavior iwill igo isome iway ito imeeting

i [ CITATION Tsa151 \l 1033 ] irecommendation ithat ifurther iempirical imodels ion iluxury ibrand

i consumption ishould ibe iestablished iwith ithe iinclusion iof iboth ipersonal iand isocial iorientations.

Objective of the Study:

i i i i

 To iunderstanding ithe iconcepts iof iStatus ibranding.

 To istudy ithe ifactors iaffecting iconsumer ibuying ibehavior.

 To istudy ithe ieffect iof iStatus ibrands ion iconsumer ibuying ibehavior iin irelative ito iFashion

i goods i& iaccessories.

Literature Review i

To itheorize iluxury ibrand ipurchase iintention iwith iregard ito ithe iconsequences ifor iconsumer

i research, ithis istudy idraws ion iconsumer iculture itheory i[CITATION Arn151 \l 1033 ].Within

i CCT,[CITATION Ahu16 \l 1033 ], i[CITATION Bel17 \l 1033 ], i[CITATION Jen14 \l 1033 ]

i studies ion ipossessions iare iparticularly iappropriate. iThe iessential iposition iis ithat iis ithat iconsumers

i use ipossessions ito iexpress iand ichange itheir iidentities, iin iorder ito ifit itheir iown ipredictions iof iwho
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i they iare iand iaspire ito ibe. iAt ithe isame itime, ithis iprocess imust ialso ibe iauthorized iby ithe ijudgment

i of ithe iexternal iworld i[CITATION Jen14 \l 1033 ].In ithis istudy, ithe iimportance iis ion ihow iself iand

i the iexternal iworld icontribute ito iluxury ibrand iconsumption. iSecondly, iwe iexamine ithe iaim ito

i obtain iluxury ibrands, irather ithan iactually ipossessing ithem. iLastly, iwe ianalyze ivanity’s istraight

i and imoderating ieffect ion ithis iprocess. iWith ithis iresearch’s icentral ijustification ilaid iout, ithe

i following ireview iwill ioutline ithe igeneral iliterature iwith ian ioverview ion ipurchase iintention,

i followed iby ia imore ifocused ireview iof itwo iimportant imodels iof iluxury ibrand ipurchase

i motivation. iFinally, iwe iwill idiscuss ithe irole iof ivanity iin iluxury ibrand ipurchase iintention iand iits

i impact ion iconsumers ibuying ibehavior. iFrom ithis ireview, iwe igenerate ifive ihypotheses ifor itesting.

When idefining ithe iessence iof iluxury, iprevious iresearch i[ CITATION Neu18 \l 1033 ]– ihas

i focused ion ithe iexternal iattributes iof iluxury ibranded iproducts isuch ias iexcellent iquality, ihigh iprice,

i rarity, idistinctiveness, iexclusivity iand icraftsmanship. iHowever, iby ilisting ithe iproduct iattributes,

i luxury icannot ibe iconceptualized iextensively; ialthough ihigh iprice iand iexcellent iquality iare iseen ias

i attributes iof iluxury iproducts, inot iall iexpensive iproducts iare iconsidered ito ibe iluxurious. iHigh

i price iof ia iproduct ihas ia ipositive irole iin idetermining ithe iperception iof iits iquality, iand iit ican ibe ia

i way ito imake ia iproduct irare iand ithereby iexclusive, ibut iit iis inot ia ideterminant iof iluxury ion iits iown

i [ CITATION Dub17 \l 1033 ]. iMoreover, iluxury ibrands imust iappear iperfectly imodern ibut iat ithe

i same itime ibe iladen iwith ihistory, iheritage iand itradition. iPerception iof iauthenticity iis ioften ilinked

i to iheritage iand ihistorical ibackground iof ithe iproduct inotes ithat iauthenticity icomes iinto iexistence

i via ian iindividual’s iown iinterpretation iof ithe iobject, iinfluenced iboth iby ithe ienvironment iand ithe

i individual’s iexperiences. iAll iin iall, iluxury istatus iof ia iproduct iis iconstructed iby ian iindividual, iand

i instead iof ifocusing ionly ion iobjective iproduct iattributes iof iluxury iitems, imore iattention ishould ibe
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i paid ito ithe imeaning iconstruction iof iluxury, iwhich iarises iin ispecific isocial icontext ithrough ian

i individual’s iperception i[ CITATION Dub17 \l 1033 ].

This istudy ifocuses ion iconsumers ibuying ibehavior, ibecause iintentions iand ibehavior ihas iwider

i implications iand iwill ioften ihave ia ipositive iimpact ion ian iindividual’s iactions. iThis ihas ibeen

i supported iby imany ischolars iwho ihave istudied ithe iimportance iof ipurchase iintention iin ithe icontext

i of ibrand iconsumption. iAntecedents iof iluxury ibrand ipurchase iintention ihave ibeen iexplored iby

i [ CITATION Tsa151 \l 1033 ] iand i[CITATION Vig141 \l 1033 ]. iIn itheir iresearch, ialthough ithe

i specific iterms ithat ieach iof ithem iused iwere iinversely, i[ CITATION Tsa15 \l 1033 ], iand

i [CITATION Vig141 \l 1033 ] iall ireferred ito ithe iinfluence iof ithe iself iand iexternal iworld ion iluxury

i brand iconsumption.

In ia istudy ion ithe iimportance ilinked iwith iLuxury ibrands, isuggested ithat iit iis icharacterized iby ithree

i worlds iof iconsumer iexperience. iWorld ione ifocuses ion ifunctional ivalue, iwhich idemonstrates ithe

i actual igoods iand iservice iquality ias isupposed iby ithe iconsumer. iFor ithe iconsumers ifunctioning

i under ithis icategory, iquality ican ibe isignificant ibecause iit igestures iwhat ian iobject idoes iand ihow

i well ithis iobject ican iperform. iIn ithe iempirical istudies iby iand i[CITATION Vig141 \l 1033 ],

i quality iwas ian iimportant iindicator ito isome iconsumer isectors. iIn iworld itwo, ithe iexperiential ivalue

i consists iof iindividual ithoughts iand ifeelings itoward ithe iluxury ibrand ibecause iit iis ioften ialleged

i subjectively ias isomething ithat iis iexceptional, iprecious, iand iunique. iThese ican ibe idivided iinto

i hedonic iand iuniqueness-seeking iinspirations. iWorld ithree iemphasizes ia iluxury ibrand’s isymbolic

i value, iwhich iindicates iconspicuousness, iluxuriousness, iand iwealth. iWithin ithe ifigurative

i dimension, ipossession iof iluxury ibrands icould iprovide ia isignal ito iothers ias iwell ias ithe iuser. iIn

i other iwords, ithe ivalue ilies iin iranging ione’s iself iand ione’s iconspicuousness. iBy icross-referencing

i with i[ CITATION Kel13 \l 1033 ] iwork, iit ican ibe iexpected ithat ithese imeasurements’ iimpact ithe
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i motivations iof iindividuals ito iconsume iluxury ibrands, ialthough ithis ihas inot iyet ibeen iempirically

i verified.

The iother iframework ithat iis iuseful ifor ithis iresearch iis ithe ibrand iluxury iindex i(BLI), iand iit

i comprises iof ifive ivalues i(quality, ihedonic, iextended iself, iconspicuousness, iuniqueness) istated

i above ias iindicators iof iluxury ibrand iperception i[CITATION Vig14 \l 1033 ]. iThese ihave ibeen

i verified iempirically ion ia isample iof iPakistani istudents, iand iall ithe imagnitudes icorrelated iwith ithe

i individuals’ iobservations iof ithe iluxury ibrand i[CITATION Vig141 \l 1033 ].When ithis iagenda

i was itested iagain iwith inonstudent iconsumers ifrom iAsia, ithe ivalue iof iquality, iuniqueness, iand

i extended iself iwere ilong-established iby ipositive ifactor ianalysis iwhile ithe icategories iof ihedonism

i and iconspicuous ivalue ipassed ithe ithreshold iof iexploratory ifactor ianalysis. i

Notwithstanding ithe ilimitations iof ithese iframeworks, ithey ido ihighpoint itwo iof ithe ithree

i antecedents iof iluxury ifashion igoods ipurchase ibehavior iused iin ithis istudy: iperception iand isocial

i inspiration. iAccording ito iconsumers’ iperceptions itowards iluxury ifashion ibrands ihave isymbolic,

i experiential, iand ifunctional imagnitudes. iThus, ithe ifirst ihypothesis itests ithe iimpact iof idifferent

i dimensions iof iconsumer iperceptions ion ipurchase ibehavior. iIn ithe ifirst iworld iof iluxury ibrands,

i excellence iand iquality iis ithe ikey ito isatisfying ithe iconsumers’ ineed ito ifulfill ifunctional ivalue

i [CITATION Vig14 \l 1033 ]. iThe isecond iworld iof iluxury ibrands iis irelated ito iknowledge ior

i experience. iFor iexperiential iconsumption iinvolves iimaginations, ifeelings, iand ifun. iIn iaddition,

i [CITATION Hol11 \l 1033 ] ihighlighted ihow ithis ivalue icould iaffect ian iindividual’s iID iand

i behavior. iLastly, iin ithe ithird iworld iof iluxury ibrands, ithere iis ia idimension iof ifigurative imeaning.

i According ito isome iindividuals iconsume ia iluxury ibrand ifor ithe isymbolic imeaning iit iinterconnects

i to ithe iworld iabout ithe iowner’s iprosperity iand ivalue. iFrom ithe iabove iliterature ion ieach iworld, ithe

i following ihypotheses iare iproposed:

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H1. iLuxury ibrand iperception iis ipositively icorrelated iwith ipurchase ibehavior. i

H2. iFunctional ivalue iperception iis ipositively icorrelated iwith ipurchase ibehavior. i

H3. iExperiential ivalue iperception iis ipositively icorrelated iwith ipurchase ibehavior.

H4. iSymbolic ivalue iperception iis ipositively icorrelated iwith ipurchase ibehavior.

In iaddition ito ithe iuser’s iperceptions, iwhich iare iinternal, iexternal ifactors ialso icontribute ito ia

i possession’s iapparent. iThis iis ibecause ia ibrand’s ivalue ican ihardly ioperate ioutside iof iits

i community, iand ithis iis iparticularly iapparent iwhen ithe ipurpose iof ia iluxury ibrand ipurchase iis ito

i signify iwealth, itrade iup iin isocial istatus, iand/or iseek. iThis iresearch ilabels ithis iexternal ifactor ithat

i stimulates iindividuals’ iintention ito ipurchase ia iluxury ibrand ias isocial iinfluence. iIn i[ CITATION

Tsa15 \l 1033 ], i[CITATION Vig14 \l 1033 ]) iresearch, ithe iimpact iof isocial iinfluence ion

i consumers’ iluxury ibrand ipurchase iintention iwas idiscussed iand iempirically isupported. iAccording

i to i[ CITATION Tsa15 \l 1033 ], isocially ioriented iconsumers iare imotivated ito ipossess iluxury

i brands iin iorder ito idisplay itheir istatus iand isuccess ito itheir itargeted isocial igroups. iThis iwould ibe

i especially iimportant iin iluxury ibrands iwhich iare iknown iinternationally, ihence ithe ifocus iof ithis

i study ion iinternational iluxury ibrands.

Perception iand isocial iinfluence ihave ibeen itested ibefore iwith idifferent isamples, ibut ithe ithird imain

i aspect iof ithis iframework, ithe irole iof ivanity, ihas iusual imuch iless iattention ieven ithough imarketers

i have itry ito ilink ivanity iwith ifrequent iproducts iwithin iconsumer iculture.. iAlthough i[ CITATION

Tsa15 \l 1033 ], iand i[CITATION Vig141 \l 1033 ] istudies ihave iall idiscussed ithe iconsumption

i insinuations iof ivanity, iour iresearch isuggests ithat iits irole iis ieven imore iprojecting ithan ipreviously

i designated. iThis iis ibecause iit iconnects ibetween ian iindividual’s iself iand ihis/her iwanted iexternal

i world ithrough isymbolic iand isensory ifulfillment. iVanity ican ibe iseen ito ihave ielements ithat iare

i relatively ihidden, isuch ias ithe iuse iof ipersonal icare iproducts ibecause iof iphysical ivanity, iand ithe
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i ostentatious idisplay iof istatus iobjects, isignifying ia ivanity iwith iregard ito isocial istatus iand ipower.

i For ithe ipurpose iof ithis iresearch, ivanity iis idefined ias i“having ian iexcessive iconcern, iand/or ia

i positive i(and iperhaps iinflated) iview iof, ione’s iphysical iappearance/personal iachievements”. iThe

i traits iand ibehaviors idisclosed iby i[CITATION Net15 \l 1033 ], iinclude imore iconcern ifor iself-

advancement, iphysical iappearance iand istatus. i[ CITATION Bel14 \l 1033 ] iAnd i[CITATION

Net15 \l 1033 ], isuggest ithese ican ibe iobserved, ifor iexample, ifrom ian iindividual’s iuse iand ichoice

i of icosmetic iproducts, iclothing iproducts, iand iconspicuous iconsumption iin igeneral. iIn istudies, ithey

i further iclaimed ivanity iis iimportantly ilinked iwith ithe iconsumption iof iluxury ifashion ibrands. iThis

i correlation ihas inot, ias iyet, ireceived iwide iempirical isupport

In iaddition, ithis istudy ialso isuggests ithat ivanity icould ireasonable ithe irelationship ibetween

i perceptions iand ithe iinfluence iof isocial icontext ion ipurchase ibehavior. iAnd istudied ihow ivanity

i could iinfluence iindividuals iwith idifferent igenerals iand igender. iIn itheir istudies, ithe iresults iprove

i vanity inot ionly icould idirectly iaffect ibehavior, ibut ialso ican ibe ia imoderator. iAccordingly, ithis

i investigation iinspects ithe imoderating iimpact iof ivanity iwhile ifixing ion ione itype iof iluxury ibrands.

H5. iVanity iis ipositively icorrelated iwith ipurchase ibehavior.

i H6. iPhysical ivanity iis ipositively icorrelated iwith ipurchase ibehavior.

i H7. iAchievement ivanity iis ipositively icorrelated iwith ipurchase ibehavior.

Probable iantecedents ithat imight ilead ito iluxury ibrand ipurchase ibehavior ican ibe itested. iIn ithe

i following isection, iwe iilluminate ithe idesign iof ithe iquestionnaire iand ithe isampling imethod iused.

Theoretical Framework
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Independent Variable Dependent Vaiable

Consumer Buying
Luxurious Clothing Brands
Behavior

Luxurious Brands Social Influence

Social Media

Celebrities Influence

Luxurious clothing brands is the independent variable and the consumer buying behavior is the

dependent variable. As the buying behavior is really much effected by the social influence and

the celebrities influence as well.

This theoretical framework is supported by the study that reflects different levels of analysis i.e.

interpersonal, cultural and social levels as well [ CITATION Bel14 \l 1033 ].

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Increase in the social media marketing will lead to increase in the consumption of luxurious

clothing brands.

Research Methodology i

3.1 Sampling, Distribution and participant background

i i i i i

The iGreater iChinese imarket iis ione iof ithe imain iareas iresponsible ifor ithe iboom iin iluxury ibrand

i ingesting iand iAntecedents iof iluxury ibrand ipurchase ibehavior i[ CITATION Hol11 \l 1033 ].

i Taiwan iis ione iof ithe ifastest igrowing iluxury imarkets iin iAsia. iFor ithis ireason, iTaiwan iis ichosen ias

i the icontext iof ithis iempirical istudy, ias isome icommentators ibelieve ithat iit imay iact ias ia igateway ito

i the iGreater iChinese imarket i[ CITATION Hei16 \l 1033 ]. iA itotal iof i1,550 isurveys iwere

i disseminated iand i1,180 ivalid iresponses iwere ireturned, igiving ia iresponse irate iof i75.8 ipercent. iThe

i high iresponse irate iwas ilikely idue ito ithree ireasons: ithe igift ifor ifinishing ithe isurvey, itrained

i interviewers iwho iwould iperform ia iquick icheck ion ithe ispot ito iavoid ipotential ierrors, iand

i encouragements ito ithe iinterviewers ibased ion ithe ieffective ireturn irate. iAmong ithe irespondents, i69

i percent iwere iunder ithe iage iof i30, i67.5 ipercent iwere ifemales, iand i60 ipercent iwere imarried.

i Additionally, iin iterms iof isocioeconomic istatus, i28.8 ipercent iwere istudents iand i25.1 ipercent iwere

i working iin ithe iservice isector iwith ithe imode iincome iof i£500-£800 iper imonth. iThe isurveys iwere

i mainly igathered inear iuniversities ior iwithin imajor ishopping idistricts iof ithe iTaipei iand iKaohsiung

i metropolitan iareas, iwhich iare ithe itwo imost ipopulous icities iin iTaiwan. iThe icommon ireasons

i given ifor inot iparticipating iwere: ilate ifor ian iappointment/meeting, ia igeneral ilack iof iinterest, ior

i lack iof iknowledge iabout iluxury ibrands. iApart ifrom ithe igeneral idefinition ion iluxury ibrands ias

i disclosed iabove, iwe ifocused ion iluxury ibrands ithat iare imore iinternationally irecognized. iThis iis

i because ithis istudy iacknowledges ithat iluxury igoods iand iluxury ibrands iare inot inecessarily

i identical. iFor iinstance, ibased ion iclassification, ithe iformer imay ibe iluxurious iwhile inot inecessarily
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i having ia iglobal istatus ior idistribution, iand ivice iversa. iThis iresearch ifocuses ion iinternationally

i recognized iluxury ibrands ibecause iwe iwanted ito iensure ithat ithe iparticipants iwould ihave isome

i familiarity iwith ithe ibrands ibefore ianalyzing itheir ipurchasing iintention. iNevertheless, ithe istudy

i also ihas iimplications ifor iless iwell-known iluxury igoods, igiven ithat isome iluxury ibrand iconsumers

i take ipride iin ishowing itheir idiscernment iby iconsuming iand idisplaying iitems iwhich iare inot iyet

i well iknown iin ithe imass imarket. iA ilist iof i30 iluxury ifashion ibrands iwas idrafted iafter ireviewing

i luxury ifashion ibrands iindex i[ CITATION Oko12 \l 1033 ]. iThis ilist iwas icompared iwith ithe

i definition iof iluxury ibrands iused iin ithis iresearch, iTaiwanese imedia icoverage iof iluxury ibrands, iand

i Asian iconsumers’ iluxury ibrand ipreferences. iThis istep iwas inecessary ibecause iindex iwas ibased ion

i brands’ iyears iof ifounding iand iwe iwanted iour iparticipants ito ihave ia icertain iunderstanding iabout

i the ibrands iso iwe ineeded ito iinclude icurrent iand inot ijust ilong-established ibrands. iIn iaddition, iwe

i decided ito ifocus ion ifashion ibrands ias ithey imake iup ia isignificant iproportion iof iluxury igoods

i consumption. iThis ilist iwas inarrowed idown ito isix ibrands iafter ia iranking iprocess iwas icompleted

i by idecisively iselected isample iof i40 iconsumers iwho iself-reported ithat ithey ihave ihigh iattention

i and iknowledge iabout iluxury ibrands iin igeneral. iParticipants icould iwrite itheir iown ichoice iof

i brands iif ithey icould inot ifind isuitable iones ion ithe ilist. iThis istep iwas itaken ito iensure ithat ithe

i selected ibrands iwere iextensively irecognized. iThe isix ibrands ichosen iby ithe iconsumers iwere

i (British), i(French), i(American), i(Italian), i(Italian), iand i(French). iThis ilist ican ibe isaid ito ibe

i comprehensive, isince iit iincludes ibrands ifrom ithe ifour ihost icountries iof ithe imost iwell-known

i fashion ishows, iand ithey iare iamong ithe ibrands ithat iare ihighly irecognizable ito icertain igroups iof

i Asian iconsumers i[ CITATION Hol11 \l 1033 ]. iWhile ithe iquestions iwere iidentical, isix iversions

i of ithe isurvey iwere iprepared, iwith ione iof ithe ilisted ibrands iprinted ion ieach iof ithem. iAfter ithe

i purpose iof ithis iresearch iexplained, iparticipants icould iselect ithe ibrand iof itheir ichoice i(out iof ithe
 14

i six ibrands ilisted iabove) ito ianswer iquestions ion. iThe ispecific iitem ichosen ias ithe ifocus iof ithis

i survey iwas ia ihandbag ias iit iwas iused iin istudy ion iluxury ibrand iconsumption. i“Handbags iare ithe

i engine ithat idrives iluxury ibrands itoday”. iWhen icompared iwith iother iproducts, ithis iitem iand iits

i translation iare inot inecessarily igender-specific iin iChinese iculture iand ican ibe iused iin idifferent

i social isettings i[ CITATION Jen14 \l 1033 ].

Apart ifrom ithe igeneral idefinition ion iluxury ibrands ias idisclosed iabove, iwe ifocused ion iluxury

i brands ithat iare imore iinternationally irecognized. iThis iis ibecause ithis istudy iacknowledges ithat

i luxury igoods iand iluxury ibrands iare inot inecessarily isynonymous. iFor iinstance, ibased ion

i [ CITATION All12 \l 1033 ] iclassification, ithe iformer imay ibe iluxurious iwhile inot inecessarily

i having ia iglobal ireputation ior idistribution, iand ivice iversa. iThis iresearch ifocuses ion iinternationally

i recognized iluxury ibrands ibecause iwe iwanted ito iensure ithat ithe iparticipants iwould ihave isome

i familiarity iwith ithe ibrands ibefore ianalyzing itheir ipurchasing iintention. iNevertheless, ithe istudy

i also ihas iimplications ifor iless iwell-known iluxury igoods, igiven ithat isome iluxury ibrand iconsumers

i take ipride iin ishowing itheir idiscernment iby iconsuming iand idisplaying iitems iwhich iare inot iyet

i well iknown iin ithe imass imarket i[ CITATION Lu18 \l 1033 ]. iIn iaddition, ia ihandbag ican icarry ia

i mixture iof ifunctional, iexperiential, iand isymbolic ivalues, iand iso iit iis iparticularly iappropriate ifor

i this iresearch. iThe iuse iof ihandbag ias ian iexample ito iexplore iparticipants’ iluxury ibrand ipurchase

i behavior iwas iexplained ito ithem ibefore ithe isurvey iwas ifilled iin. iWe ifelt ithe irespondents

i understood ithe iimplications iof ithis iresearch iand iits iquestions.

3.2 Questionnaire Design

i i

Participants icompleted ia isurvey iwith ia ifive-point iLikert iscale ifor ievaluating itheir iperception iof

i luxury ibrands, isocial iinfluence, ithe itrait iof ivanity, iand ipurchase ibehavior. iInformants irated iall

i items iwith ianchor ipoints ifrom i“strongly idisagree” i(¼ i1) ito i“strongly iagree” i(¼ i5). iThe itarget
 15

i question iexamined iin ithis istudy iwas i“what icontributes ito iconsumers’ iluxury iproduct ipurchase

i behavior?” iAll ithe ivariables iin ithe imodel iwere imeasured iwith imultiple iitems ito iadequately

i capture ithe idomain iof ithe iconstructs. iThe isurvey imeasurement iitems ifor ieach ivariable iare

i presented iand iwere ispecifically igenerated ifor ithis istudy ibased ion idescriptions iand imeasures iof

i related iconstructs iin ithe iliterature: ithree iluxury ibrand iperceptions iwhich icomprised ifunctional,

i experiential iand isymbolic ivalue igenerated ifrom), isocial iinfluence iwork ion ipurchase iintention.

i The iwordings iof ithe imeasures iwere islightly imodified ito ibe iappropriate ifor ithis istudy.

Questionnaire

Questions about Luxurious Clothing

i i i

Purchase iBehavior

 Have iyou iever ipurchased ia i(Shalwar iKameez iof ia iLuxurious iBrand)?

a) Yes

b) No

iiiiiiiiiiiiiii Regular iUsage

 Which iluxurious iclothing ibrand i(Shalwar iKameez) ido iyou iregularly iuse?

a) Cambridge

b) Amir iAdnan

c) Eden iRobe
 16

d) Junaid iJamshed

e) Other

 Which ibrand iof iShalwar iKameez ihave iyou iused iin ithe ipast imonth?

a) Cambridge

b) Amir iAdnan

c) Eden iRobe

d) Junaid iJamshed

e) Other

 In ian iaverage imonth, ihow ioften ido iyou ibuy i(Shalwar iKameez iof iyour iopted iBrand)?

 Record iNumber iof iTimes iper iMonth i_____________

 Would iyou isay iyou ipurchase i(Shalwar iKameez iof iyour iopted ibrand) imore ioften ithan iyou

i did ia iyear iago, iabout ithe isame ias iyear iago, ior iless ithan ia iyear iago?

a) More ioften ithan ia iyear iago

b) About ithe isame ias ia iyear iago

c) Less ithan ia iyear iago

 How ifrequently ido iyou ibuy i(Shalwar iKameez iof iyour iopted ibrand)?

a) Every iday

b) 5-6 itimes ia iweek

 17

c) 2-4 itimes ia iweek

d) Once ia iweek

e) Less ithan ionce ia iweek

f) Less ithan ionce ia iweek

g) Never

Questions about Goods and Services

i i i i

Ease iof iUse

 How ieasy ido iyou ifind iusing i(opted ibrand)?

a) Very ieasy

b) Easy

c) Neither ieasy inor idifficult

d) Difficult

e) Very idifficult

Uniqueness

 How idifferent iis ithis ibrand ifrom iother ibrands iof i(Shalwar iKameez)?

a) Very idifferent

b) Somewhat idifferent

c) Slightly idifferent

d) Not iat iall idifferent

 18

 How iwould iyou irate ithis iproduct i(opted ibrand) ion iuniqueness?

a) Extremely iunique

b) Very iunique

c) Somewhat iunique

d) Slightly iunique

e) Not iat iall iunique

Interest

 In igeneral, ihow iinterested iare iyou iin itrying ia inew ibrand iof i(Shalwar iKameez)?

a) Very iinterested

b) Somewhat idifferent

c) Not itoo iinterested

d) Not iat iall iinterested

Like/Dislike

 What ido iyou ilike iabout ithe i(opted ibrand)?

______________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

 What ido iyou idislike iabout ithe i(opted ibrand)?

 19

______________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

 How ido iyou ilike ithe iperception iof i(opted ibrand)?

a) Like iit ivery imuch

b) Like iit

c) Neither ilike iit inor idislike iit

d) Dislike iit

e) Strongly idislike iit

Satisfaction

 How isatisfied iwere iyou iwith i(opted ibrand)?

a) Very isatisfied

b) Somewhat isatisfied

c) Very idissatisfied

 Now ithat iyou ihave iowned i(opted ibrand) ifor imonths, iplease itell ius ihow isatisfied iyou iare

i with iit?

a) Completely isatisfied

b) Very isatisfied

c) Fairly isatisfied

d) Somewhat idissatisfied
 20

e) Very idissatisfied

Quality

 How iwould iyou irate ithe iquality iof i(opted ibrand)?

a) Excellent

b) Good

c) Fair

d) Poor

 Please iindicate ihow ithe iquality iof i(opted ibrand) icompared iwith ithe iquality iof i(2nd

i preference iof iLuxurious ibrand)?

a) Better

b) About ithe isame

c) Worse

Problems

 Have iyou iever iexperienced iproblems iwith i(brand/company’s) iservice?

a) Yes

b) No
 21

 When iattempting ito icontact i(company’s) irepresentative, ihow imuch iof ia iproblem, iif iany,

i was ieach iof ithe ifollowing i:

Phone ibusy

a) No iproblem iat iall

b) Slight iproblem

c) Somewhat iof ia iproblem

d) Major iproblem

Put ion ihold itoo ilong ior itoo ioften

a) No iproblem iat iall i

b) Slight iproblem

c) Somewhat iof ia iproblem

d) Major iproblem

 What iare ithe imajor ishortcomings iof i(opted ibrand)?

______________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

Benefits

 Do iyou ithink i(opted ibrand) iprovides iyou iwith ivarious idiscounts iand ibenefits?
 22

a) Yes

b) No

 Questions ion iBuying iBehavior

Buying iIntentions ifor iExisting iproducts

 Do iyou iintend ito ibuy i(Shalwar iKameez iof iyour iopted ibrand) iin ithe inext imonth i(3 imonths,

i year ietc.)?

a) Yes

b) No

 If ia ifree i(Shalwar iKameez) iwere ioffered ito iyou, iwhich iwould iyou iselect?

a) Cambridge

b) Amir iAdnan

c) Eden iRobe

d) Junaid iJamshed

e) Do inot iuse

 Questions iabout iDemographics

Age
 23

 What iis iyour iage, iplease?

 What iyear iyou iwere iborn?

iiiiiiii

iiiiiii Education

 What iis iyour ilevel iof ieducation?

a) Some ihigh ischool ior iless

b) Completed ihigh ischool

c) Some icollege

d) Completed icollege

e) Some igraduated ischool

f) Completed igraduated ischool

 What iis ithe ihighest ilevel iof ieducation iyou ihave iobtained?

a) Some ihigh ischool ior iless

b) High ischool igraduate

c) Some icollege

d) College igraduate

e) Postgraduate ischool

f) Completed igraduate ischool

Marital iStatus i

 What iis iyour imarital istatus?

 24

a) Married i

b) Divorced/separated

c) Widowed

d) Never imarried/single

Income

 Which igroup idescribes iyour iannual ifamily iincome?

a) Under iRs.20,000

b) Rs.20,000-39,999

c) Rs.40,000-59,999

d) Rs.60,000-79,999

e) Rs.80,000-99,999

f) Rs.100,000-149,999

g) Rs.150,000 ior imore

 25

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