Consumer Behavior and Counterfeit Luxury Products: A Literature Review

This report provides a literature review analyzing consumer behavior related to counterfeit luxury products. It examines the motivations and psychological factors that influence consumers' decisions to purchase counterfeit goods. The review synthesizes findings from various studies, including quantitative and qualitative research, exploring topics such as price sensitivity, social motivations like status and self-monitoring, brand reputation, and the ethical considerations of counterfeit consumption. The analysis covers a range of research designs, including surveys, interviews, and experiments, to offer a comprehensive understanding of the complex dynamics between consumers, luxury brands, and the counterfeit market. The report highlights the negative impact of counterfeit products on genuine brands and the increasing demand for such products. The conclusion summarizes the key findings and the implications for marketing and consumer behavior research, emphasizing that counterfeit products are illegal, yet consumers still purchase them.

Readings in Integrated Marketing

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
LITERATURE REVIEW TABLE..................................................................................................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
Literature review table is the assessment of topic with the help of different relevant articles which helps in developing
understanding over different articles on chosen topic. The present analysis is based on consumer's motivation to buy counterfeit
products of luxury brands and also analyse the psychological emotion and factors which influence consumers in illegal consumption
of counterfeit products.
LITERATURE REVIEW TABLE

Author/s
(Year)
Type of study
(qualitative,
quantitative,
conceptual, case
study)
Research Design Research Focus and/or key
variables tested /
Key Findings or outcomes
Marticotte, &
Arcand, (2017)
Quantitative research The information in
study is collected via
online questionnaire
which was completed
by around 420
respondents.
The focus of this study is to outline
that luxury brand counterfeiting is
harmful and it largely influences the
genuine brand. Researcher also focus
on presenting a scenario on
Louis Vuitton brand and its
counterfeit.
The major findings of this study is
that consumers are positively
correlated to buy the counterfeit
products and aims at negatively
correlate with an intention to
counterfeit the original brand.
The study is chosen so as to know about the harmful effects that counterfeit products can cause to consumer.
Engizek, &
ŞEKERKAYA,
(2015)
Face to face survey The information was
collected from 1000
female consumers
The main focus of this study is to
interpret and analyse the fact that is
price the only motivation for the
consumer to buy counterfeit luxury
goods. It has been analysed that
personal characteristics like
materialism, brand sensitivity, value
oriented and fashion-oriented
The key findings of the study is that
consumers are mainly influenced by
social motivations like status, self-
monitoring and they are also
influenced by product related
features like value and quality of the
products. Hence, it has been
analysed that luxury goods and
Counterfeit products are illegal to consume, still consumer prefers to buy it

consumers are affected by the non-
price motivation and leads to
counterfeit luxury brands.
products available at lower price
influences and motivates buyers to
counterfeit luxury brands.
The article highlights that counterfeits products are generally low priced and causes harm to consumers
Teah, Phau, &
Huang, (2015)
This research is based
on mall intercept
approach and
structured equation
modelling in LISREL
to analyse the data.
Self-administered
questionnaire which
was effectively
developed and
translated from
English to Chinese and
effectively distributed
to gain in depth
knowledge about the
subject matter.
The key of this research study is to
analyse the reason why devil
continues to wear counterfeit luxury
brand i.e., Prada. It also analyses that
there are various social behaviour
and personal motivations which
drive people to buy counterfeit
products of luxury brands.
It has been found that there is a
positive attitude of consumer's
towards counterfeiting luxury brands
for China but not for Taiwan. There
was negative attitude of Taiwan
consumer's towards counterfeiting of
luxury brands. It has been analysed
and interpreted that integrity and
status are the core reason which
build positive attitude of consumers
to counterfeit luxury brands.
This article was of interest because it examines the factors which make people advise about how counterfeit products are harmful for their
consumption.
Bian, X and et.al.
(2016)
Quantitative approach The information was
collected from
employees by
conducting in-depth
The key findings of this research are
to analyse the demand of consumer
for counterfeit luxury brands. This is
an unethical approach to counterfeit
It has been analysed that the demand
of the counterfeit products is
increasing and growing at a faster
pace. This research helps in finding

interviews. authentic products of luxury brands. psychological and emotional
viewpoints of the consumer's which
drive them, or motivate them to buy
counterfeit products of luxury
brands. This research findings also
helps to unleash the copying
strategies of luxury products which
leads to unethical counterfeit
consumption by consumers.
The study is chosen because it helped in knowing about the harmful effects of counterfeit products.
Basu, Basu, &
Lee, (2015)
Random sampling. The researcher aim to
investigate the
information by
choosing 176 random
consumers for
unbiased and accurate
information which
increase accuracy and
reliability on the study.
The main focus of this study is that
counterfeiting is increasing at a
faster pace and this leads to a major
complicated issue for the authentic
luxury brands. This determinants of
study was attitude of consumers to
buy counterfeit products of the
luxury brands.
They key findings of this study
states that there are several factors
which affects the behaviour of
consumers adversely and influence
them to buy counterfeit products at
lower quality and price. This study
further identifies the behaviours of
consumers like social motivation,
perception, brand loyalty, personal
gratification, value and ethics which
largely influence the behaviour of

consumers at greater extent to buy
counterfeit products of luxury
brands. This study also determines
that Theory of reasoned action
( TRA) also helps determine the
effective factors which influence the
consumers to buy counterfeit
products of luxury brands. TRS
helps in determining the purchasing
pattern of consumers in comparison
with the popularity of counterfeit
products.
This study is chosen because it highlighted the factors which makes the consumer understand about how counterfeit products are illegal
Pham, & Nasir,
(2016)
Survey questionnaire,
correlation and
multiple regression
analysis.
The survey
questionnaire was
conducted from 306
respondents.
The main focus is to determine key
factors which drive consumers for
counterfeit products.
It has been analysed that increased
number of counterfeit products pose
a major challenge on luxury brands.
A positive attitude towards
counterfeit products have serious
implications on luxury brands.
This study determines the factors which drive consumers for counterfeit products. Fast growth of counterfeit products poses a major challenge

on existing luxury fashion brands.
Park-Poaps, &
Kang, (2018)
Laboratory
experiment.
The information is
collected from 121
female college
students who actively
participated in two
experiments. First
laboratory experiment
conducted was
genuine purchasing
situation vs.
counterfeit products.
Other experiment was
regarding the impact
on brand reputation.
The main focus was to analyse the
impact on brand reputation and to
determine the attitude towards non-
luxury counterfeit products.
The key findings of the study is that
brand reputation of the company was
significantly affected. The attitude
towards buying counterfeit products
was unsupported.
This study is to highlight how selling of illegal products can be harmful to organizations
Sharma, & Chan,
(2017)
Conceptual
framework.
This field of study was
conducted with 890
shoppers in Hong
Kong.
The focus is to incorporate
attitudinal functions and their impact
on counterfeit products.
It has been analysed that, the buying
behaviour of counterfeit products is
due to socially adjustive and value-
oriented consumer attitude.
This article highlights about how counterfeit products after being illegal are more preferable

CONCLUSION
The review table outline brief analysis of 8 articles which were specifically focused on outlining consumer's motivation to buy
counterfeit products of luxury brands and also analyse the psychological emotion and factors which influence consumers in illegal
consumption of counterfeit products.

REFERENCES
Books and journals
Basu, M. M., Basu, S., & Lee, J. K. (2015). Factors influencing consumers intention to buy counterfeit products. Global Journal of
Management And Business Research.
Bian, X and et.al. (2016). New insights into unethical counterfeit consumption. Journal of Business Research. 69(10). 4249-4258.
Engizek, N., & ŞEKERKAYA, A. (2015). Is the price only motivation source to purchase counterfeit luxury products?. Journal of
Academic Research in Economics. 7(1).
Marticotte, F., & Arcand, M. (2017). Schadenfreude, attitude and the purchase intentions of a counterfeit luxury brand. Journal of
Business Research. 77. 175-183.
Park-Poaps, H., & Kang, J. (2018). An experiment on non-luxury fashion counterfeit purchase: The effects of brand reputation,
fashion attributes, and attitudes toward counterfeiting. Journal of Brand Management. 25(2). 185-196.
Pham, T. H. M., & Nasir, M. A. (2016). Conspicuous consumption, luxury products and counterfeit market in the UK. The European
Journal of applied economics.13(1). 72-83.
Sharma, P., & Chan, R. Y. (2017). Exploring the role of attitudinal functions in counterfeit purchase behavior via an extended
conceptual framework. Psychology & Marketing. 34(3). 294-308.
Teah, M., Phau, I., & Huang, Y. A. (2015). Devil continues to wear “counterfeit” Prada: A tale of two cities. Journal of Consumer
Marketing.32(3). 176-189.