Luxury not for the masses: Measuring inconspicuous luxury motivations

Abstract

This research defines and develops a measure of inconspicuous luxury motivations (ILM). In four studies, we identify items, purify this list, establish reliability, and provide evidence of the validity of the ILM inventory. Study One involved three focus groups. Based on the themes derived from the focus group interviews and from the literature, we developed, tested, and refined the initial ILM inventory with three different surveys involving a student referral sample (Study Two), a college student sample (Study Three), and a national US consumer panel (Study Four). Construct validity was established. The nomological validity of the inventory was tested by looking at the relationships of the ILM dimensions to brand visibility preference, preference toward conspicuous consumption and attitude toward luxury consumption. The result is the nine-item, two-factor ILM inventory: an intrinsic motivation to enjoy privacy in luxury consumption and an extrinsic motivation of being associated with the experienced luxury elite.