Counterfeiting constitutes a problem for the luxury industry, one that has arisen in recent years, parallel to the growth of the industry itself. This paper argues that counterfeit purchases stem from a boomerang effect of luxury brands’ ongoing strategy to attract more consumers. To grow in volume, luxury brands offer more accessible and conspicuously branded products. Exclusivity and exceptional quality — the core values of luxury — have been violated by these lower-cost products. The focus has moved from true values — quality of craftsmanship — to superfi cial ones such as logo conspicuousness. Beyond making good copies easier to produce, this may have increased cynicism among consumers and lessened the moral barriers attached to the purchase of counterfeit products. A study on 966 actual luxury consumers shows indeed that negative ethical judgments about luxury and perception of luxury as being superfi cial are strong predictors of luxury counterfeit purchasing.
Purpose For as long as luxury has existed, it has been criticized, by philosophers and moralists, who condemn self-indulgence, hedonism and vanity. Yet these concerns have not prevented the remarkable expansion of the luxury sector, evidence that most buyers revel in unashamed luxury. Modern economists point out the link between the development of the luxury market and the growth of social inequality. This study aims to assess how much guilt consumers feel during luxury purchases and identify its levers. Design/methodology/approach Based on 3,162 real luxury buyers from 6 countries, both Asian and western, emerging and mature luxury markets, a partial least squares-structural equation models (PLS-SEM) analysis assesses the level of guilt experienced during luxury purchases and identifies which drivers most impact guilt. Findings This study assesses the presence of a little guilt among a significant portion of luxury buyers across countries. Two countries present extreme scores: the USA (55.6%) and Japan (32%). Overall, the main driver of guilt is that luxury makes economic inequality highly visible; interestingly the pursuit of hedonism reduces the feelings of guilt. Research limitations/implications These findings have notable implications for luxury companies as the long-term success of this sector would be questionable if it attracts social criticism and induces distressing feelings among clients. Practical implications Luxury brands need to implement guilt reducing communication strategies. Social implications The luxury sector as a whole should redefine its purpose and mission. Originality/value This level of guilt experienced during purchases rarely has been investigated in prior luxury research. Yet luxury addresses larger targets, from the happy few to the happy many. Thanks to PLS-SEM modelization, the same hierarchy of guilt driving factors is revealed across countries.
Les marques sont desormais reconnues comme le capital des entreprises. Bien qu'intangibles, elles sont un levier essentiel de croissance et de valeur ajoutee. Neanmoins, cette reconnaissance ne saurait rester purement formelle : elle a de profondes implications pour le management. Le present article les detaille une par une : gestion du portefeuille de marques, des nouveaux produits, de l'organisation marketing, traitement de la recession et attitude a tenir face aux marques de distributeurs.
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