Redefining luxury: exploring the natural connection with sustainability beyond labels

Al-Issa, Nermain Article Redefining luxury: exploring the natural connection with sustainability beyond labels Cogent Business & Management Provided in Cooperation with: Taylor & Francis Group Suggested Citation: Al-Issa, Nermain (2024) : Redefining luxury: exploring the natural connection with sustainability beyond labels, Cogent Business & Management, ISSN 2331-1975, Taylor & Francis, Abingdon, Vol. 11, Iss. 1, pp. 1-12, https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2024.2423054 This Version is available at: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/326667 Standard-Nutzungsbedingungen: Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch gespeichert und kopiert werden. Sie dürfen die Dokumente nicht für öffentliche oder kommerzielle Zwecke vervielfältigen, öffentlich ausstellen, öffentlich zugänglich machen, vertreiben oder anderweitig nutzen. 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If the documents have been made available under an Open Content Licence (especially Creative Commons Licences), you may exercise further usage rights as specified in the indicated licence. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Cogent Business & Management ISSN: 2331-1975 (Online) Journal homepage: www.tandfonline.com/journals/oabm20 Redefining luxury: exploring the natural connection with sustainability beyond labels Nermain Al-Issa To cite this article: Nermain Al-Issa (2024) Redefining luxury: exploring the natural connection with sustainability beyond labels, Cogent Business & Management, 11:1, 2423054, DOI: 10.1080/23311975.2024.2423054 To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2024.2423054 © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group Published online: 04 Nov 2024. Submit your article to this journal Article views: 1738 View related articles View Crossmark data Citing articles: 5 View citing articles Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at https://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=oabm20 Marketing | research article Cogent Business & ManageMent 2024, VoL. 11, no. 1, 2423054 Redefining luxury: exploring the natural connection with sustainability beyond labels nermain al-issa College of Business administration, american university of the Middle east, egaila, Kuwait ABSTRACT Purpose: Once considered improbable, the fusion of sustainability and luxury has emerged as a captivating concept in contemporary consumer culture. the growing emphasis on integrating sustainability into luxury products has raised concerns about potential consumer backlash. the current research proposes that consumers’ traditional luxury personal and social purchase motives (i.e. luxury values) can be shaped by their opinions on luxury sustainability (i.e. perceived luxury sustainability). Design/methodology/approach: the analysis was conducted in two stages using the PrOcess macro. We utilized a sample of 600 participants, equally distributed across two distinct cultures: individualistic with a high sustainable orientation and collectivistic with a developing sustainable orientation. in the first stage, we employed Model 4 to examine the anticipated influence of perceived luxury service (Pls) on perceived luxury values that underpin consumers’ purchase intentions (Pi). in the second stage, we investigated the country’s moderating role in shaping the relationships explored in the first stage. a moderated mediation analysis was conducted using Model 7 of the PrOcess macro. Findings: this research has uncovered a profound connection between luxury and sustainability that challenges conventional knowledge. the results confirm that perceiving luxury as sustainable enhances consumers’ perceptions of its quality and material aspects, increasing their intent to purchase luxury items. however, this perception also seems to diminish other traditional luxury values. this trend holds across diverse cultural contexts. nevertheless, insights from this study highlight the importance of considering cultural differences, particularly in social motives, in the context of luxury and sustainability. Originality: the current research adds to the understanding of the self-congruity concept, which influences consumers’ evaluation of products based on how they relate product or brand values to their self-identity. this study employs a novel approach to investigate how comprehensive variables—including personal and social values, cultural orientation, and sustainable perception—might influence consumers’ purchase intentions (Pi) toward luxury products, regardless of sustainable labeling. For the first time, it reveals how consumers innately link sustainability to luxury values across different cultures. Previous studies have focused explicitly on sustainably labeled luxury products, considering limited luxury values and never conducting cross-cultural tests. given these findings, the current article proposes managerial recommendations to navigate this complex consumer landscape. Introduction as the world increasingly prioritizes sustainability, luxury brands are pressured to demonstrate their commitment to sustainable production methods (Jain, 2019; Mohr et al., 2022). however, it is important to note that consumer expectations vary. some consumers assume luxury brands are inherently sustainable due to their reputation for crafting high-quality, durable products (Mohr et al., 2022), while others may view sustainable luxury products negatively (acuti etal., 2022; kumagai, 2020). the global nature of this issue, coupled with the practice of luxury brands pricing their sustainable products at a premium, © 2024 the author(s). Published by informa uK Limited, trading as taylor & Francis group CONTACT nermain al-issa [email protected] College of Business administration, american university of the Middle east, egaila, Kuwait https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2024.2423054 this is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. the terms on which this article has been published allow the posting of the accepted Manuscript in a repository by the author(s) or with their consent. ARTICLE HISTORY received 25 July 2024 accepted 23 October 2024 KEYWORDS luxury sustainability; luxury values; luxury consumption; luxury branding; culture; cross-country SUBJECTS Marketing Management; retail Marketing; Marketing 2 n. al-issa underscores the need to understand how consumers perceive luxury sustainability (kapferer & Michaut, 2014) and how this perception influences their brand/product evaluation and purchasing behavior (athwal et al., 2019). Perceived luxury sustainability reflects consumers’ perceptions of the sustainability of luxury products, questioning whether luxury aligns with sustainability concerns (kapferer & Michaut, 2014) Within the luxury consumption literature, it is firmly established that consumers are primarily motivated to purchase luxury products through their perceptions of personal and social values associated with luxury (al-issa et al., 2024a; al-issa & Dens, 2023). Personal values emphasize the importance of luxury in achieving personal satisfaction and encompass perfectionism (highlighting the quest for superior product or service quality, performance, and design), materialism (revolving around the use of possessions to create impressions, showcase achievements, and establish social status), self-expression/ identification (reflecting the use of luxury purchases as a means to express one’s identity and personality), and hedonism (tied to the emotional value of luxury consumption, where it provides self-reward and gratification). in contrast, social values are influenced by external factors and encompass conspicuousness (where individuals opt for high-value items to enhance their social image and status within social groups) uniqueness (reflecting the pursuit of exclusive and rare products to distinguish oneself), and social conformity (involving the purchase of luxury products already owned by reference group members, aiming to gain acceptance, approval, and conformity with others’ expectations) (al-issa etal., 2024b; al-issa & Dens, 2023) Previous research has highlighted a positive indirect impact of luxury sustainability and a brand’s corporate social responsibility (csr) initiatives on consumer behavior (kong et al., 2021). this effect is attributed to functional, symbolic values (Diallo et al., 2021), conspicuous ethical self-identity (essiz & senyuz, 2024), and subjective happiness and novelty seeking (lee & Furukawa, 2023) associated with luxury brand consumption. however, these findings conflict with indicated direct negative influences on consumers’ purchase intentions (kumagai, 2020) and their willingness to pay premium prices (Diallo et al., 2021). as detailed in the literature review section, previous studies have predicted limited luxury values through sustainability, primarily concentrating on how these values influence consumer behavior toward luxury products explicitly labeled as sustainable (alghanim & ndubisi, 2022; Wang etal., 2021). however, sustainability extends beyond environmental practices; it encompasses the entire supply chain, even if products are not explicitly labeled as sustainable (al-issa etal., 2022). Furthermore, previous research has been limited by its focus on specific demographics (e.g., eastman etal., 2021; kapferer & Michaut, 2020; Pencarelli etal., 2019) or by exclusively involving actual consumers (e.g. alghanim & ndubisi, 2022; essiz & senyuz, 2024). the perception of a conflict between luxury values and sustainability has led some consumers to abstain from purchasing luxury items (kapferer & Michaut, 2014; kumagai, 2020). these constraints in prior research underscore the need for a more comprehensive examination of the relationship between luxury and sustainability, inclusive of diverse consumer perspectives. Besides, cultural diversity among nations plays a pivotal role in consumers’ attitudes and behaviors toward luxury and its sustainability (al-issa etal., 2024b; kong etal., 2021; lee & Furukawa, 2023; Wang etal., 2021). eastman etal. (2021) suggest that collectivism moderates the relationship between uniqueness and ecologically conscious consumer behavior within the context of luxury. Wang et al. (2021) emphasize that in collectivist cultures, the need for conformity (uniqueness) positively (negatively) influences sustainable luxury Pi, whereas this effect is reversed in individualist cultures. On the other hand, Diallo et al. (2021) found that differences in the impact of csr actions on willingness to pay premium prices for luxury items between distinct cultural contexts are not statistically significant. Previous research has yielded mixed cross-cultural findings regarding consumers’ perceptions of the relationship between luxury and sustainability. Furthermore, a notable gap exists in understanding how consumers’ perceptions of luxury sustainability influence their evaluation of and intentions to purchase luxury brands. in addressing the noteworthy gaps within the current body of literature, the present research aims to answer two central questions: (1) What personal and social luxury values do consumers anticipate when perceiving luxury as sustainable? (2) how does this connection impact their Pi across distinct countries? inspired by findings in former studies, the current research proposes that consumers’ traditional luxury purchase motives (i.e. personal and social values) can be shaped by their opinions on luxury cOgent Business & ManageMent 3 sustainability (i.e. perceived luxury sustainability). While sustainability research has traditionally concentrated on developed countries characterized by a strong emphasis on sustainability, there is growing recognition of sustainability’s importance in developing nations (Wang & huang, 2021). therefore, this study’s comparative analysis between the kuwaiti and uk markets is expected to provide insights elucidating differences between the countries. Distinct from former studies, this research is not limited to explicit sustainability labels on luxury products and incorporates a diverse range of respondents. the subsequent sections of this paper will delve into the literature, theory, hypotheses development, research methodology, results, discussion, implications, limitations, and avenues for future research. Literature review in recent years, ethical and sustainable consumption has emerged as a significant aspect of consumers’ desired identity, leading them to prefer luxury products that align with sustainability objectives (Jain, 2019). however, some consumers may intentionally avoid sustainable products to distance themselves from associated negative stereotypes, such as being labeled as feminine, hippie, or part of marginalized groups (acuti etal., 2022). When evaluating a product or brand, consumers often compare their perception of the brand-user image with the identities they wish to project (al-issa etal., 2024a; al-issa & Dens, 2023; eastman et al., 2021). this evaluation process is influenced by self-congruity, a multidimensional concept encompassing various aspects of the self: the actual self, driven by the need for self-consistency; the ideal self, characterized by high self-monitoring and motivated by the need for self-esteem; the social self, influenced by the need for social consistency and perceived social image; and the ideal social self, prompting actions for social approval (al-issa etal., 2024a; eastman etal., 2021; Jain, 2019). therefore, consumers are expected to value luxury sustainability in alignment with their personal values (actual and ideal self), social values (social and ideal social self), and local identities (actual self) (Figure 1). these complexities underline luxury brands’ challenges in managing consumer perceptions of sustainable luxury, emphasizing that brands must integrate these considerations into their marketing strategies (amatulli et al., 2021a). PLS and luxury purchase motives (perceived values) While hennigs etal. (2013), sustainable luxury value encompasses various dimensions traditionally associated with luxury, like functional, financial, individual, and social value, Ozdamar-ertekin (2019) stresses the importance of assessing how luxury values align with or contradict sustainability principles. While luxury sustainability is a relatively recent concept deserving further investigation, prior research has delved into the connections between specific luxury values and sustainable luxury. While a notable debate regarding consumer perceptions of sustainable luxury exists, a subset of studies suggests that associating luxury with sustainability may lead consumers to perceive products as lower in quality (Dekhili et al., 2019) and emotionally aversive states (acuti et al., 2022). however, it is essential to acknowledge a significant body of research that counters this perspective and collectively demonstrates Figure 1. Conceptual framework. 4 n. al-issa that the driving force behind purchases of sustainable luxury goods lies in the pursuit of perfection and superior product standards (alghanim & ndubisi, 2022; essiz & senyuz, 2024; hennigs et al., 2013; ing etal., 2021; kapferer & Michaut, 2020, 2014). this aligns with the belief that luxury items should endure, reinforcing luxury goods’ timeless allure while promoting waste reduction and responsible resource management (kelleci, 2022; Osburg etal., 2021). thus, many luxury brands maintain sizable aftermarkets for their products, facilitating extended use over generations and emphasizing responsible resource utilization (kelleci, 2022). in addition, luxury sustainability serves as a means for consumers to convey their commitment to environmental and social causes, which play a crucial role in shaping consumers’ self-image (cervellon & shammas, 2013; Jain, 2019). For instance, vintage luxury consumption, recognized as a sustainable approach, notably enhances consumers’ perceptions of their desired and ideal self-image (amatulli etal., 2018a). this alignment also gives consumers a sense of guilt-free indulgence (cervellon & shammas, 2013). consumers derive distinct pleasure from the awareness that their luxury purchases not only fulfill personal desires but also contribute positively to society and the environment (alghanim & ndubisi, 2022; essiz & senyuz, 2024; kelleci, 2022). the discrepancies observed in the results of prior studies can be traced back to variations in the methodologies utilized. For instance, acuti et al. (2022) study adopts a conceptual approach, offering theoretical insights without empirical validation. conversely, Dekhili et al. (2019) research uses qualitative methods, incorporating interviews with luxury consumers and industry professionals. While qualitative methods like interviews can provide in-depth insights, they may lack the broad generalizability of quantitative survey-based studies. the positive correlation between luxury sustainability and specific luxury personal values is corroborated by existing literature reviews on the subject (athwal et al., 2019; Jain, 2019). With regards to social values, luxury sustainability goes beyond mere ownership; it embodies a distinctive form of conspicuousness, where possessing and displaying sustainable luxury items becomes a statement of commitment to responsible living and ethical values (alghanim & ndubisi, 2022; cervellon & shammas, 2013; Osburg et al., 2021). in a parallel vein, responsible luxury underscores scarcity and exclusivity, factors that have been shown to heighten (willingness for) consumption (alghanim & ndubisi, 2022; amatulli etal., 2021a; De angelis etal., 2017). the desire for unique products has also been identified as a mediating factor in the relationship between socially related consumers’ attitudes and behaviors (eastman et al., 2021). this interconnectedness highlights how responsible luxury leverages scarcity and exclusivity and reinforces consumers’ pursuit of uniqueness, influencing their consumption behaviors. at the same time, sustainable luxury fosters a collective sense of social conformity towards shared environmental responsibility (alghanim & ndubisi, 2022). consumers embrace sustainability as a collective value within this framework and conform to it within their social networks (essiz & senyuz, 2024; Wang et al., 2021). thus, subjective norms (i.e. the influence of social groups) exert social pressure on individuals, compelling them to engage in environmentally responsible behaviors (Jain, 2019). additionally, purchasing sustainable luxury products can be seen as a means for individuals to align themselves with a particular social class that can afford these environmentally responsible products (cervellon & shammas, 2013). Founded by discussions in the literature, we predict that: H1: Pls positively shapes consumers’ perception of luxury personal (i.e. self-expression, perfectionism, hedonism, and materialism) and social values (i.e. conspicuousness, uniqueness, and social conformity), influencing luxury products Pi. Cross-cultural differences cultural diversity among nations plays a pivotal role in consumers’ attitudes and behaviors toward luxury and its sustainability and consumers’ perceptions of sustainable luxury might be distinct across diverse cultures (lee & Furukawa, 2023; Wang et al., 2021). For instance, eastman et al. (2021) suggest that the relationship between the desire for unique products and ecologically conscious consumer behavior is moderated by cultural values, such as collectivism. While athwal et al. (2019) highlight the role of collective social drivers in motivating consumers to support products that positively impact society, fostering more favorable attitudes toward sustainable businesses, cervellon and shammas (2013) cOgent Business & ManageMent 5 emphasize that individual and collective social drivers for purchasing sustainable luxury differ among countries. according to Wang et al. (2021), the desire for exclusivity in sustainable luxury items negatively influences purchase intentions, while the need for conformity has a positive effect in a collectivist country like china. conversely, these effects are reversed in the uk, characterized by its individualistic nature. kong et al. (2021) provide further insights by demonstrating that collectivist consumers in south korea are less influenced by sustainability when evaluating luxury brands and forming purchase intentions than individualists in germany. they suggest that sustainability communications may be perceived as threats to quality and scarcity, particularly among collectivist cultures. in a similar line, Diallo et al. (2021) show that luxury brands’ corporate social responsibility (csr) actions negatively affect customers’ willingness to pay premium prices, with cultural differences influencing the mediating effects of luxury values. While the effects of csr actions and brand symbolic value on willingness to pay do not differ between countries, the influence of functional value is stronger in high long-term orientation (ltO) cultures. in contrast, the effect of social value is stronger in low ltO cultures. From another perspective, lee and Furukawa (2023) find that subjective happiness significantly influences luxury consumption in china compared to Japan. these differences are attributed to variations (high vs low, respectively) in feelings of guilt about environmental impacts across cultures. however, there is a notable trend towards increased acceptance of sustainable luxury as an essential component of modern luxury consumption, suggesting the possibility of a gradual convergence in the appreciation of sustainable luxury products across different countries and cultures (kumar, 2023; Pelikánová etal., 2021). Despite this trend, it is essential to highlight the limited number of cross-cultural empirical studies on this topic, indicating the need for further research to understand better the nuances of luxury sustainability and its influence on consumers’ evaluation and consumption across diverse cultural contexts. considering former findings, we expect that: H2: while Pls consistently influences luxury consumers’ Pi, the mediating role of luxury personal and social values varies across countries with distinct cultural and sustainable development contexts. Methodology to gather our data, we developed a questionnaire based on prior research (al-issa & Dens, 2023) and tailored it to the specific context of our study. this research complied with all ethical standards and guidelines for involving human participants. We obtained all necessary ethical approvals, consents, and permissions following the regulations of antwerp university and the Declaration of helsinki. all participants provided informed written consent. after providing information about their demographics, participants were given some questions to gauge their perception of luxury values involving perfectionism, materialism, self-expression, hedonism, conspicuousness, social conformity, uniqueness, and social conformity. then, they indicated their Pls and their Pi toward luxury. all items were measured using a multi-item 7-point likert scale for all questions. the country is used as a proxy for cultural and sustainable orientation (al-issa et al., 2024b; eastman etal., 2021; kong et al., 2021; Wang et al., 2021) and is coded as 0 for kuwait and 1 for the uk. for the uk. kuwait is an under-researched market characterized by its collectivist nature, and high-income levels underscore its potential significance as a luxury market (al-issa & Dens, 2023). kuwait has recently embarked on a sustainable transformation, demonstrating a solid commitment to a sustainable future.1 in contrast, the uk represents the Western individualist society, where sustainability is a well-established and ingrained concept.2 such distinctive cultural orientations and varying levels of sustainable development make the selected countries captivating candidates for a comparative approach in our study. the questionnaire was developed in english and arabic to cater to kuwait’s national language preferences. to ensure accuracy, an independent researcher back-translated the arabic version into english. respondents were allowed to choose their preferred language when completing the questionnaire. Online administration was facilitated via reputable platforms: Yougov in kuwait and Prolific in the uk. 600 completed questionnaires were collected and evenly distributed, with 300 responses from each country. table 1 provides a breakdown of the sample characteristics. 6 n. al-issa a multigroup confirmatory factor analysis (cFa) encompassing both countries is conducted to comprehensively assess reliability, validity, and measurement invariance across the two nations. the factor loadings (table 2) were robust and reflective of good measurement quality, except for one item of uniqueness that displayed a loading value that bordered on acceptability (ʎ= 0.490). item is retained as it has undergone rigorous testing and validation in prior studies (Farah & Fawaz, 2016; le Monkhouse et al., 2012). cronbach’s alpha for each construct is acceptable (>0.7), except in the case of uniqueness, where it is marginal (0.582). aVe presents satisfying values above the 0.50 threshold, and the composite reliability of the constructs is above 0.75 (table 3), thus deemed acceptable and confirming the scales’ reliability (Bagozzi & Yi, 1988). Discriminant validity is solidified with htMt values spanning from 0.093 to 0.758, affirming the robustness of the measurements. Moreover, the negligible impact of common method variance (cMV) further bolsters the credibility of the findings (al-issa etal., 2024b). Results this section analyses collected data using the PrOcess macro version 3.5 (hayes, 2018). Our analysis is conducted in two stages (amatulli et al., 2021a). While continuously including consumers’ income as a control variable, the first stage examines the anticipated influence of Pls on the perceived luxury values that underpin consumers’ Pi. to test h1, we employed Model 4 of the PrOcess macro. the results in table 4 reveal that Pls significantly positively impacted perceived perfectionism (b = 0.121, p = 0.01). however, the effect on perceived materialism, while positive, was found to be statistically insignificant (b = 0.041, p: 0.453). Moreover, Pls exerted a significant negative influence on the following luxury values: perceived self-expression (b= −0.116, p < 0.001), hedonism (b= −0.234, p < 0.001), conspicuousness (b= −0.200, p < 0.001), uniqueness (b= −0.163, p < 0.001), and social conformity (b= −0.324, p < 0.001). in the regression model with Pi as the dependent variable (table 5), we observed a significant direct positive effect of Pls on Pi (b = 0.113, p < 0.005). additionally, there was a positive indirect effect through perceived luxury perfectionism (b = 0.036, 95% ci:0.008, 0.067) and a significant adverse effect through hedonism (b= −0.029, 95% ci: −0.054, −0.010). however, the mediating effects of perceived materialism (b = 0.008, 95% ci:-0.015, 0.033), self-expression (b= −0.006, 95% ci: −0.020, 0.006), conspicuousness (b= −0.022, 95% ci: −0.047, 0.001), uniqueness (b= −0.013, 95% ci: −0.004, 0.033), and social conformity (b= −0.006, 95% ci: −0.032, 0.023) were found to be insignificant. therefore, h1 is partially supported. the second stage investigates the moderating role of the country in shaping the relationships explored in the first stage. thus, a moderated mediation analysis was conducted using Model 7 of PrOcess macro. this analysis considered perceived luxury values as mediators, Pls as the independent variable, country as the moderator, and Pi as the dependent variable. income is included as a control variable. results demonstrated in table 6 indicate that the country’s moderating influence on Pls’s impact on luxury values was insignificant except for conspicuousness (b= −0.163, p < 0.05). in the uk, Pls more negatively influences the conspicuous value usually attached to luxury (b= −0.287, p < 0.05) than it does in kuwait (b= −0.124, p < 0.05). however, examining conditional indirect effects unveiled a remarkable finding—an index of country-moderated mediation that did not reach statistical significance (table 7). no differences were observed across countries in the impact of Pls on Pi through perceived luxury values, rejecting h2. Table 1. sample characteristics. KW uK Demographic % % gender Male 75.7 46.3 Female 24.3 53.7 education High school graduate or less 9.3 27 2-year degree 10.3 7.0 Bachelor’s degree and above 80.4 66 M M age 29.8 27.3 income (usD) 4900–6500 2660–3990 cOgent Business & ManageMent 7 Discussion this study is primarily centred on elucidating the complex dynamics of consumer behavior towards luxury products, particularly in a new world emphasizing luxury brands’ sustainable practices. the current study focuses on identifying the relationship between Pls and the values consumers attach to luxury, as these values subsequently motivate their purchasing intentions. this approach encompasses a cross-cultural dimension, comparing countries with distinct cultural orientations and levels of sustainable development, expected to lead consumers to pursue luxury items for varying motives. the current research findings reveal that Pls enhances consumers’ perceptions of luxury attributes such as superior quality and durability and increases consumers’ Pi towards luxury products. these findings are consistent with the established association between luxury sustainability and these luxury values in previous research (e.g. alghanim & ndubisi, 2022; essiz & senyuz, 2024; kelleci, 2022; Osburg et al., 2021). simultaneously, Pls reduces consumers’ perception of pleasure, self-expression/identification, and various social values, including status signaling, self-distinction, and conformity to social groups, diminishing Table 2. Composite reliability and construct loadings. Constructs items Factor loading t statistics Perfectionism Luxury goods are bought for their excellent quality 0.877 62.379 Luxury goods are bought for their excellent design 0.877 64.197 Luxury goods are bought for their excellent customer service 0.793 36.543 Materialism i admire people who own luxurious homes, cars, and clothes 0.783 34.475 i like much luxury in my life 0.822 51.508 My life would be better if i owned certain luxury products; i do not have 0.847 54.805 it sometimes bothers me quite a bit that i cannot afford to buy all the luxury products i would like 0.779 33.874 self-expression Luxury products help people achieve the identity they would like to have 0.803 46.361 People buy luxury goods to reveal a little of who they are 0.652 18.076 People buying luxury goods belong to an elite class 0.664 18.658 Buying luxury goods is synonymous with success 0.793 40.193 Buyers of luxury goods are sophisticated people 0.803 28.011 Hedonism Luxury goods are bought for a feeling of fulfilment 0.730 17.072 Luxury goods are bought for self-indulgence 0.692 13.609 Luxury goods bring pleasure to the owner 0.833 32.728 Luxury goods bring excitement 0.887 46.680 Conspicuousness Luxury goods are bought for their distinctive brand design 0.751 24.667 Luxury goods should be easily recognized by others 0.765 27.355 Luxury goods are a symbol of high social status 0.670 16.510 Luxury goods impress people 0.682 16.030 uniqueness People buy luxury goods to make themselves stand out 0.752 9.121 once a product becomes mass-produced, it is not luxurious anymore 0.490* 3.734 Luxury goods are bought because they are exclusive 0.867 15.434 social conformity People buy luxury products to meet social expectations, norms, and practices 0.729 6.326 People buy luxury products to do the same as what others do 0.581* 3.159 People buy the same luxury products their friends buy to feel closer to them 0.779 7.398 People prefer to buy luxury products that are already used by people they appreciate and admire 0.864 11.465 PLs Luxury is a symbol of human inequalities and richness (R) 0.511* 3.897 Luxury makes people buy products far too expensive for their means (R) 0.778 10.707 Liking luxury is liking a superficial way of life (R) 0.817 13.330 Luxury and sustainability are contradictory (R) 0.823 14.603 Pi My willingness to buy luxury products would be high while i am shopping 0.678 23.216 the probability i would consider buying luxury products is high 0.703 27.108 Note: PLs: perceived luxury sustainability; Pi: purchase intentions, (*) item with a factor loading < 0.6.