Okonkwo Prelims

9 How consumers dispose of the products Luxury goods traditionally

last for a lifetime and are rarely disposed of. However, an interesting

occurrence has developed in the luxury goods sector in the last five years

that has made luxury goods disposable. This occurrence is called the

‘fast-fashion’ phenomenon later discussed in Chapter 7 of this book. Fast

fashion means that the design turnover of luxury products has become

higher and the product lifecycles have become shorter. As a result, the ‘It’

fashion items change every few weeks. Consumers in a bid to keep up

have also become smart and savvy in their luxury goods purchase cycle.

They now sell their ‘used’ or ‘semi-used’ products for substantial

amounts (sometimes close to the original price tag) in order to purchase

new ones. Several second-hand dealers who trade in these items are crop-

ping up in different global markets. This factor, however, does not dimin-

ish the value of the products or their brands.

10 How consumers decide on future purchases The decision for the future

purchase of luxury goods has already been made. The future is now!

To further illustrate the decision-making process of consumers, Schiffman

and Kanuk identified three main levels of influence which is illustrated in

Figure 3.2.

The Input stage is mainly influenced by the strategies behind the market-

ing mix such as the product, pricing, retail channels and promotions. Other

influencing factors are branding elements like the brand personality, brand

image and brand awareness; and social groups like family, friends and

colleagues.

The Process stage operates on a more intangible level, characterized by

psychological and emotional elements such as perception, personality, atti-

tude, and motivation.

The Output stage involves the use, evaluation and disposal of the goods.

64

luxury fashion branding

The Input stage

The Output stage Purchase behaviour Involvement Evaluation

Psychology Motivation Perception

The Process stage Personality Attitude Learning

Marketing mix Branding Social groups

Figure 3.2 The three influential levels of the consumer decision-making

process

Source: Adapted from Schiffman and Kanuk, 2004.