Impact of need for uniqueness on purchase behaviour of luxury brands

This study aims to study the effects of need for uniqueness on luxury brands purchase intentions. Three dimensions for uniqueness can be considered: creative choice, similarity avoidance and unpopular choice. In addition, the relations between these three dimensions and demographic variables like age, gender, occupation, educational level were investigated.

Data was collected by simple random sampling from luxury customers in Mumbai. They were administered a structured questionnaire which had statements on three scales namely creative choice, similarity avoidance and unpopular choice. Then we studied how each of these dimensions vary with respect to gender, age, occupation, income, education, religion and marital status.

It is found that the scale Creative Dimension had the highest mean score as compared to Similarity avoidance and Unpopular Choice. It is also found that there is no significant difference in creative choice with respect to all the seven demographic variables like age, gender, occupation, education, religion, monthly income and marital status. In the case of unpopular choice, there is a significant difference with respect to gender and education and no significant difference with respect to the other five demographic variables. In the case of similarity avoidance, there is a significant difference with respect to marital status and no significant difference with respect to the other demographic variables.

We can understand how uniqueness is a very important dimension of luxury value and how it influences purchase behaviour of luxury brands. We can also understand how uniqueness can be expressed in terms of three scales namely creative choice, unpopular choice and similarity avoidance and how these are influenced by demographic variables like age, gender, occupation, education, religion, monthly income and marital status. This will help luxury brand companies to provide their customers with products which provide them uniqueness and also they can make strategies differently for different segments.

Though similar studies have been done abroad, we are trying to study the impact of uniqueness on purchase behaviour of luxury brands for customers in Mumbai.