Gender and Culture Effect in Fashion Luxury Goods Consumption

Abstract

Earlier studies have indicated that gender have an effect on the motivators to purchase fashion luxury goods. It was stated that women and men have different intentions when purchasing these kind of goods. Moreover, earlier studies have shown that culture will as well have an impact on the motivators of the consumers to acquire fashion luxury goods. Where consumers from different culture are motivated differently in purchasing fashion luxury goods. In the study the major intrinsic and extrinsic motivators to purchase fashion luxury goods are identified and analyzed. The identified motivators are: aesthetics, perceived extended self, hedonism, quality, esteem, expression of oneself, social status and symbolism, political, bandwagon effect, and conspicuousness. Moreover, Hofstede cultural dimensions is analyzed and some of dimensions are used in the study based on their relation to the motivators identified. The dimensions used in this study are: individualism/collectivism, masculinity/femininity, indulgence/restrain, and power distance.

The data for the empirical research is collected via online surveys, which were distributed by using facebook messages and group posts. The sample consists of 189 participants from various countries. The results of the study indicate that gender has an effect on the motivators to purchase fashion luxury goods. Where the female gender shows to have more interest on purchasing these goods for intrinsic purposes. The male gender shows to have more interest on purchasing fashion luxury goods for extrinsic purposes. Furthermore, the culture of the participants are grouped into clusters where then the results are interpreted from those. Based on the results it is concluded that culture has an effect on the motivators to purchase fashion luxury goods.