“Domestic-Made” or “Foreign-Made” Luxury Brands?

Abstract

This study investigates if there is a difference between status- and non-status-seeking Australian teenager consumers in their attitudes toward buying domestic and foreign (i.e. Italy, Japan, and China)-made luxury brand apparel. Fishbein’s (Readings in attitude theory and measurement, New York: Wiley, 1967) multi-attribute attitude model was used to measure and compare attitudes of 663 teenagers; with repeated measure ANOVA and t-tests utilized to examine whether the groups differed with regards to their attitudes toward buying luxury brand apparel, using a comparison of apparels made in Australia with those made in Italy, Japan, and China. It is found that status-seeking teenage consumers have, overall, a more positive attitude toward foreign luxury brand apparel as compared to Australian luxury brands, with the exception of Chinese brands. Non-status-seeking teenagers, however, have a more positive attitude toward Australian brands than foreign brands, and consider Australian luxury brands superior to all three foreign brands with regards to ease of care and comfort. The Australian apparel industry should focus its marketing strategy on enhancing the attributes of “fashionableness” and “brand name” of Australian apparel so as to attract away both status- and non-status-seeking teenagers from foreign-made apparel. This proposed strategy can enhance the consumer welfare and utility for Australian consumers as well as improve the business performance of the fashion brands.