Thesis (M. Consumer Science)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

Thesis (M. Consumer Science)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

This study analyses and compares the theories relating to advertising and competition in economics literature with their operation in the market-place, and with the attitudes and pronouncements of public policy towards advertising and competition. A survey of the main literature in economic theory concerned with advertising and competition includes the theory of value, the theory of the firm, and theories and empirical studies on the effects of advertising and imperfect competition on prices, profits, barriers to entry and product differentiation. Since no general agreement exists on these theories and research, the review is interspersed with criticisms which have been made about specific features of them, and also a short outline of alternative theories which are considered to give a more accurate account of the behaviour of firms in the real world. Consumer behaviour in the market is then studied from three viewpoints: a summary of the major academic theories of consumer behaviour; the results of some empirical research into consumer behaviour; and eight case histories of products and services which show how products are developed and introduced on the market. Finally, the economic theories are compared with the results of the empirical research and the case histories. The theory and practice of advertising and competition is then compared with extracts from the reports of public bodies to illustrate the attitude of public policy towards advertising and competition. The conclusions draw attention to the major discrepancies which appear to exist between theory and practice, and the implications that follow for public policy which seems to be predominantly based on the theory of the firm and the need to eliminate imperfections in the market such as product differentiation, advertising and non-price competition.

The present study employed Ajzen’s theory of planned behaviour (TPB) to understand the motivational factors associated with peoples’ intention to: (a) increase their physical activity levels in response to Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games; (b) watch the event on television; and (c) purchase products or services from companies because they were sponsors of the event. According to the theory, behavioural intentions are determined by individuals’ attitude toward performing the behaviour (i.e., their overall evaluation of the behaviour); the subjective norms they associate with the behaviour (i.e., their beliefs about whether most people approve or disapprove of the behaviour); and perceived behavioural control (i.e., the perceived ease or difficulty of performing the behavior). As well, this investigation hypothesized that additional variables could predict intention. In particular, past behaviour and descriptive norms (i.e., people’s perceptions about the degree to which other people would perform the behavior) were examined in terms of their ability to explain significant proportions of variance in respondents’ intentions above and beyond TPB variables. Participants were enrolled in first and second year undergraduate classes at the University of Waterloo and the University of Victoria during the Fall 2009 and Winter 2010 term (n = 405). The questionnaire assessed each TPB construct (excluding actual behaviour) using standardized Likert-type scaling procedures suggested by Ajzen (2006). Additionally, the questionnaire assessed gender, geographic proximity to the event (i.e., whether students were enrolled at the University of Waterloo or the University of Victoria), past behaviour, and descriptive norms. Results from the regression analyses revealed that the TPB-based models accounted for 50.7%, 61.5% and 66.6% of the variance in respondents’ intentions to become more active in response to the event, watch the event on television, and purchase products or services from event sponsors respectively. Attitude toward the behaviour was the only TPB construct to play a prominent role in the prediction of all three responses of interest in the present investigation. The importance of the attitude construct in predicting such a diverse set of intentions suggests that sport consumer behaviour might be best understood in terms of expectancy-value cognitive theories such as the TPB. These theories suggest that people will be motivated to perform a particular behaviour (e.g., watching a sport event on television) when they expect to attain a valued outcome as a result of performing the behaviour (e.g., feelings of national pride). Descriptive norms and past behaviour explained an additional 29%, 9.3%, and 21% of the variance in respondents’ intention to become more active in response to the event, watch the event on television, and patronize event sponsors respectively. Among this sample of undergraduate students, responses to the event appeared to be strongly associated with beliefs about whether or not referent others would perform each behaviour. Additionally, much of what motivates sport consumer behaviour within this segment of the population may be related to notions of tradition and nostalgia. Implications for future research and the design of behaviour change interventions are discussed.

The purpose of this study is to see whether price endings affect people's perceptions of luxury and necessity goods. There is evidence that the rightmost digits, or endings, of retail prices can communicate meanings to consumers. Some researchers (Schindler and Kirby, 1997; Stiving and Winer, 1997; Thomas and Morwitz, 2005) argued that there are two price ending effects level effects (those effects in which consumers may underestimate the price); and image effects (those effects in which consumers may infer meaning from the right-hand digits). In the study, ninety-three participants were recruited from the University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand. All participants were given questionnaires to rate the quality and necessity-luxury of the good first; then a distraction session which used for distracting participants' attention from memorizing the prices of the goods; then a recall-test was given. Participants gave significantly different ratings for luxuries and necessities according to the different price-endings. In addition, the idea that the prices ending in 9 tend to be underestimated was also found.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Wollongong, 2005. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references: leaf 203-253.

Diss. Stockholm : Handelshögskolan, 2007.

Marketing research indicates a robust industry for luxury brands with ever-increasing consumer demand. However, studies indicate no correlation between the booming luxury industry and the value of luxury as perceived by the consumers. Against the backdrop of growth in this industry and its contributions towards the economy of a nation, it is imperative to understand why consumers buy luxury accessories brands from an academic and managerial perspective. It is equally important to understand the reasons as to why consumers hold certain brands dear and how their perception of luxury affects their buying decisions. Previous market research done in this regard highlighted the need for luxury brand managers to adopt a focused approach when selling luxury goods. Consumers should be able to perceive certain value in the luxury accessories brand that justifies its high cost, especially during periods of economic recession. To obtain a quantifiable and sustainable competitive advantage, it is prudent for the luxury industry to investigate and analyse the consumer value of their products. Therefore, it is crucial to study the types of value required and their impact on consumer behaviour. To bridge this gap, the present study proposes generating an in-depth explanation of how consumers’ luxury value dimensions determine their overall luxury brand value in an accessories context. Subsequently, these influence their repurchase intention through direct and indirect routes, by establishing and testing an integrated model of the determinants and consequences of luxury accessories value from the perspective of Gulf Arab tourist. To meet the requirements of this research, a mixed methodology was deployed. This combined all quantitative and qualitative data, in a sequential manner, to deduce the results. An explorative qualitative phase was used at the preliminary level of research. This required various focus groups to set out the scope of the model and devise topics for the questionnaire. This was followed by a quantitative research phase that compiled and evaluated all data generated from the self-administered questionnaires. Hypothesis testing was estimated using Structural Equation Modelling (Smart Partial Least Square (PLS) v.3) on 397 Gulf Arab tourists who have an experience in luxury accessories. The results confirm that Gulf Arab tourists consider emotional, social, self-identity, relational and financial value when developing their overall value of luxury accessories. Effectively, this shapes their repurchase intention only indirectly through brand trust and preferences. The uniqueness of this research is elicited from being the first to use the theory of consumption values to construct a model that uncovers overall value for luxury accessories brands and tests its influence on repurchase intentions. This model develops the narrow view of consumption-value theory in terms of the value components that affect only consumption choice decisions. The research model cultivates this view by integrating a set of value components as a basis on which to explain consumer preferences and purchase decisions for luxury accessory brands. Thus, the theory of consumption values may go beyond choice decisions to include behavioural outcomes. In addition, this study reiterates the experimental view of consumption, as proposed by Holbrook and his colleagues. The study states that cognitive and affective components work in collaboration to determine the overall value of luxury accessories brands. The research provides supplementary data to the assumptions of the traditional rationality models. Combined with such models, this research intends to enhance the prediction of the value of consumer luxury accessories. Methodologically, the existing empirical research relies on small student samples, used conventionally in similar studies. Consequently, a significant number of respondents lacked the necessary purchase experience, essential for this research. However, the present research contributes by using actual consumers of luxury accessories brands; thereby, enhancing the validity of the empirical findings. Another significant contribution of this research is the use of a mixed-methods approach to understanding consumer behaviour. This allowed the researcher to obtain a better understanding of the Consumer Value theory within the context of luxury accessories, branding and endorsements. The qualitative and quantitative aspects of such consumer values have never been explored before. Therefore, this research anticipates providing a benchmark for all future research under the same topic. Pragmatically, regarding emotional, social, self-identity, relational and financial dimensions, marketers will be able to base their selling strategies based on this model. Furthermore, it facilitates the improvement of purchase value for their luxury accessories and help them target consumers in different market segments. Consumers may differ with respect to their perceived values for luxury commodities, but prefer a prticular luxury brand to satisfy their emotional and cognitive needs. This model is also useful from a market position, while enhancing the overall Marketing efficiency for luxury accessories. Alternatively, luxury accessories brand managers will be required to build strong brand value and a continual relationship with their consumers to prevent them from searching for and investing in alternate brands and substitutes; thereby encouraging cross-shopping.

The EU Carbon-CAP project assembled a comprehensive portfolio of consumer initiatives in order to assess the potential total impact of consumer options on national carbon footprints. Existing evaluations of behavioural change have focused primarily on direct energy reductions, typically in households and buildings. However, changes in consumer demand have deeper impacts via their upstream supply chains. The consumer behaviour options considered in the portfolio focus on green household initiatives. Combining existing micro-level studies with a multiregional input-output economic model, we estimated the potential efficacy and uptake of each behaviour across the European Union (EU). The results suggest that adopting these consumer options could reduce carbon footprints by approximately 25%. While 75% of this is delivered as reductions in emissions within Europe, one-quarter of the effect is delivered as a reduced imported carbon footprint, due to changes in the composition of imports.

Recently, many studies have detailed how consumer perceptions and experiences affect attitudes and behaviours towards web service quality and e-satisfaction. Controversy arises when it comes to luxury brands. Luxury brands associate themselves with the concept of exclusivity and they position themselves in the market as such. But in online placement, how do they remain exclusive when information is accessible to everyone? Consumers of luxury products and services have varying opinions on the subject. Not all consumers are susceptible to online marketing and retailing. The perception of consumers is highly relevant when assigning the term ‘luxury’ to a brand. Therefore, a luxury brand has a certain personality and has an emotional and a creative appeal for the consumer. The aim of this research is to understand consumer attitude towards online luxury shopping websites before the purchase, during the purchase, and after the purchase. This study investigates the external factors that impact on consumer attitude toward purchasing online luxury shopping as a first step in the consumer online luxury shopping model. Further, it examines consumer attitude towards purchase life cycle, and the mediation role of consumer attitude between external factors and purchase intention. Moreover, this study investigates the relationships between different stages inside the purchase life cycle. This work is the first study focusing on the above aspects in a luxury context, the importance of which has been widely recognised in marketing literature but never explored empirically. Taking an exploratory approach, the study shows that in the case of brands in the premium luxury segment, external factors may have a positive influence on luxury perceptions, and more specifically on consumer attitude, which in turn may affect their intention to proceed to the online buying process. This study uses the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) as a theoretical grounding to study the adoption and evolution of a consumer online luxury shopping (COLS) model. A questionnaire was deployed online as a research instrument to collect the data from 313 online luxury consumers in the United Kingdom (UK) and United States (US). The data were analysed using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) with PLS software. Further analysis using multi group analysis (MGA) was conducted after the main analysis for comparison between country (UK and US), gender (Male and Female), and level of internet experience (Intermediate and Advanced). The empirical results from this study show that, among seven external factors that affect consumer attitude (perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, perceived brand value, e-WOM, e-service quality, social network site usage and social media marketing activities), e-service quality has the strongest impact on consumer attitude toward purchasing online. However, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness and e-word of mouth were non-significant, while e-service quality, social network site usage, social media marketing activities, and perceived brand value were all significant, and positively impact on consumer attitude. Moreover, the rest of the relationships from the COLS findings were significantly positive. Finally, the findings of this study provide noteworthy theoretical insights in terms of development of the COLS from the theory of extended TAM, and the COLS highlights the importance of the external factors, consumer attitude, and purchase lifecycle as the key elements of online luxury shopping. Moreover, the COLS model has been tested using multi-group analysis in three sets (country, gender, and internet level of experience). Furthermore, these findings bring valuable marketing implications highlighted by this study, and covers before purchase, during purchase, and after purchase, which shows what is happening inside the entire buying process for online luxury shopping. Marketers might also note that adopting an online luxury shopping website and recognising what factors can affect buying externally or internally can improve business efficiency.