Title: Desire and likeliness to buy luxury products: mapping perceptions using multi-dimensional scaling

Authors: Pearly Saira Chacko; Hareesh N. Ramanathan; Sanjeev Prashar

Addresses: Toc H Institute of Science and Technology, Arakkunnam, P.O. Ernakulam District, Kerala, India ' Toc H Institute of Science and Technology, Arakkunnam, P.O. Ernakulam District, Kerala, India ' Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Raipur, Old Dhamtari Road, Sejbahar, Raipur-492015, Chhattisgarh, India

Abstract: The desire for luxurious products is a phenomenon which was reported even from the pre-historic era. In the west, much research has proven beyond doubt that luxury consumption which was once considered to be 'sinful' and 'wasteful', is now a way of life. When it comes to the case of women, craving for luxurious products are evident in some form or another. There is a considerable lacuna in the literature concerning the product categories that woman in India desire. This paper investigates product categories that women consider desirable and consequently tempted to purchase and the paper also creates a perceptual map that signifies the similarity of the product categories. Multi-dimensional scaling was used to map the aspiration to possess and willingness to purchase the luxury products in the near future. The results of this study are highly beneficial to both the practitioners as well as to the academia; as this research will provide a better understanding of the customer perception of their desire for conspicuous products.

Keywords: luxurious products; perception mapping; desire to own; likeliness to buy; multi-dimensional scaling; conspicuous consumption; materialism; product category.

DOI: 10.1504/IJICBM.2019.098001

International Journal of Indian Culture and Business Management, 2019 Vol.18 No.2, pp.123 - 136

Received: 25 Oct 2017
Accepted: 14 Apr 2018
Published online: 26 Feb 2019 *

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