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Luxury fashion consumption and Generation Y consumers: Self, brand consciousness, and consumption motivations

Sarah Giovannini (Department of Textile and Apparel, Technology and Management, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA)
Yingjiao Xu (Department of Textile and Apparel, Technology and Management, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA)
Jane Thomas (Department of Marketing, Winthrop University, Rock Hill, South Carolina, USA)

Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management

ISSN: 1361-2026

Article publication date: 9 March 2015

36500

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate Generation Y consumers’ luxury fashion consumption. Generation Y is becoming a very important segment for the luxury market in the USA. Specifically, this study is designed to investigate Generation Y consumers’ consumption of luxury fashion products from the following perspectives: the influence of self-related personality traits on their brand consciousness; and the influence of brand consciousness on consumption behaviours in terms of consumption motivations, purchase intention, and brand loyalty.

Design/methodology/approach

A conceptual model was developed to represent the proposed relationships among the related variables. An online survey was conducted and 305 valid surveys were collected. The proposed hypotheses were tested using structural equation modelling (SEM) analyses.

Findings

From the perspective of self-concept, this research shed some light on the luxury fashion consumption behaviour of Generation Y consumers. Public self-consciousness and self-esteem were both found having significant influence on Generation Y consumers’ brand consciousness and in turn their luxury consumption motivations and brand loyalty.

Research limitations/implications

Limitations for this study mainly come from the representativeness of the sample, which was recruited from a panel of a third party research group. Implications for luxury fashion brand managers and retailers focus on strategies that influence the social and self-motivation for luxury consumption and level of brand consciousness.

Originality/value

This research is unique because it focuses on luxury fashion consumption of Generation Y consumers, an emerging segment in the luxury market. Generation Y consumers’ behaviour towards luxury fashion was examined in terms of their self-related personality traits, brand consciousness, motivation, and brand loyalty.

Keywords

Citation

Giovannini, S., Xu, Y. and Thomas, J. (2015), "Luxury fashion consumption and Generation Y consumers: Self, brand consciousness, and consumption motivations", Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, Vol. 19 No. 1, pp. 22-40. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFMM-08-2013-0096

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2015, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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