Immigrants’ acculturation and luxury brand purchase intentions: a cross-sectional study in the Australian context

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of acculturation on immigrant consumer behaviours in their host country. Mainly, the role of acculturation and luxury brand purchasing intentions were investigated.Design/methodology/approachThe research conducted an online survey of 400 Indian sub-continent born immigrants in Australia.FindingsThe findings confirm that the behaviour acculturation dimension of immigrants is significantly negatively related to their luxury brand purchase intention. Although immigrants' overall acculturation is significantly related to the luxury brand purchase intention, their language and identity acculturation have no significant effect, supporting the multidimensional framework’s influence on immigrant consumer behaviour. Immigrants with higher family income, younger age and less academic education show more luxury brand purchase intention; however, no moderating demography was found between the relationship of acculturation and purchase intention. In spite of the limitation of sampling, this study demonstrates that immigrants' level of acculturation influences their luxury brand purchase intention in the host country.Originality/valueThis study aims to help marketers formulate a unified segmentation strategy of purchasing luxury brands based on immigrants' acculturation and sociodemographic stance. This paper highlights the specific needs of ethnic consumers. Incorporating immigrant consumers into the marketplace will help create a homogenised society and more integration of immigrants into the larger society in the host country. Findings shed light on the role of culture change as a crucial element that affects immigrants' luxury brand purchase behaviour considering their integration level into the host country.