The luxury goods market: Understanding the psychology of Chinese consumers

Abstract

The objective of this research is to construct a multifactorial model facilitating the assessment of the interrelation between aspects of Chinese consumers' attitudes towards luxury items and their psychological intent to acquire such goods. The paper presents a factorial model of the evaluation system, which encompasses factors such as luxury brand awareness, materialism, social comparison with peers, fashion novelty, and consumer engagement with fashion. The research findings indicate that: (1) there exists a positive correlation between the attitudes of Chinese consumers towards luxury items and their intention to acquire them; (2) Chinese consumers, overall, tend to disregard fashion innovations as a significant factor in luxury item purchasing decisions; (3) however, materialism as a motivation for conspicuous consumption and status has become a pivotal stimulating factor; (4) substantial influence is also exerted by the impact of luxury item acquisition on the owner's social status; (5) individuals possessing knowledge of fashion trends demonstrate a higher propensity to acquire luxury items. Theoretically, this study contributes to the broadening of the understanding of luxury goods consumption within the context of the Chinese market. This contribution holds value for researchers of this market, as well as those examining other regional markets, facilitating a comparative analysis of consumer behavior factors. From a practical perspective, the model is oriented towards expanding the toolkit available to managers and marketers. It enables an understanding of the psychological motives attracting Chinese consumers to the luxury goods market. This understanding, in turn, facilitates the formulation of an effective strategy for introducing new items into this market.