Empirical Generalization on Luxury Fashion Handbag Brand Value Perceptions

Abstract

Deliberation on consumer consumption choice is continuously converging on the theory of consumption value. Although previous researches have addressed the question of whether value and cost formulate consumer perception in association with luxury fashion handbags, there is considerable uncertainties in how different societies, generation and cultures relate to the conspicuous goods’ consumption. Luxury fashion handbags have emerged in the global market industry with the values offered. Set against this background, this study examines the brand value perceptions with regards to purchasing luxury fashion handbags among female millennials in Malaysia in order to stem the substantial empirical generalizations in the emerging market as hypothesised by Shukla (2012). This study analyses a dataset from different generational background based on three brand values with two antecedents of each value, which are social values - conspicuous and status; personal values - hedonism and materialism; and functional values - uniqueness and price-quality. A total of 384 females, aged between 31and 40 who have purchased and owned luxury handbags were selected through purposive sampling. Although the original model replicated well, similar findings were not observed. The results revealed that social (conspicuous and status) and functional (uniqueness) directly influence the purchasing behaviour of female millennials. In contrast, the findings closely reflect developed markets occasion from Shukla’s original model. Paradoxically, the effect of global village and globalization of markets has produced greater similarity on how female millennials in Malaysia perceive luxury fashion handbags. The results show an important impact of global culture indicating greater tendency on the young segment’s consumer attitude.