The study investigated South African female consumers' purchase intent for luxury exotic leather accessories, with specific reference to exotic crocodile leather, as well as their perceived values of luxury exotic leather products and brands. A survey was conducted across South Africa that included representation of the following ethnic groups: African, White, Coloured, Asian and Indian. All the individuals surveyed were female. Consulta Research, a consumer research company, assisted the research study in collecting data. Data was collected by means of a non-probability convenient sampling method. Consulta Research distributed an online questionnaire to female participants on their database. Three hundred and thirty seven (337) usable questionnaires were completed and returned. Data analysis consisted of descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis, Spearman's correlation analysis and Cohen's d correlation analysis. All of the demographic and lifestyle characteristics were useful in describing the South African female consumer. The findings indicated that the majority of the respondents were not willing to spend market-related prices for genuine crocodile leather accessories. The study confirmed that luxury value perceptions may include five dimensions that are distinguished in literature, namely Social, Individual gifts, Individual pleasure, Financial, and Functional value perceptions. Functional value perceptions were found to be more important to South African respondents, although previous studies in other countries have shown that Social and Individual value perceptions are more important. According to the literature presented in the study, it was confirmed that purchasing intent is part of the decision-making process, since intention is evident in an individual's readiness to perform a given behaviour. The findings showed that South African female respondents have a weak Purchasing intent for exotic crocodile leather accessories. The study, however, also showed that in the future at some point a substantial percentage of respondents might buy (24.00% + 18.60% + 20.70%), have the intention to buy (23.40% + 17.50% + 21.30%) and have an interest to buy (23.10% + 17.80% + 18.90%) an exotic crocodile leather accessory. A high practical significance was also found for the correlation between Purchasing intent and Functional value perceptions. This might be an indicator of the important role that functionality would play in respondents' final decision to buy or not buy an exotic crocodile leather accessory. This has implications for industry stakeholders because Functional value perceptions, according to the study, can be described as superior quality, quality assurance, high quality standards and substantive attributes and performance factors. Therefore industry stakeholders within the luxury exotic crocodile leather industry, be it suppliers, manufacturers, breeders, farmers, retailers or marketers, should take these consumer values into consideration in order to maximise the ultimate value delivered by the supply chain. Various recommendations are made based on the findings of this study, to either expand or build onto this existing research. Topics related to luxury exotic crocodile leather accessories and luxury consumers in South Africa can definitely be explored further to fill the current gap in knowledge in this field. / Dissertation (MConsumer Science)--University of Pretoria, 2016. / Consumer Science / MConsumer Science / Unrestricted

This study explored the relevance of sustainability labelling for Chinese consumers’ perception of the luxuriousness of, and purchase intent for sustainability-labelled exotic leather accessories. The Wiedmann, Hennigs and Siebels’ Luxury Value Perception Scale (2007), as well as the Vigneron and Johnson’s (2004) Brand Luxury Index (BLI) model as adapted by Kim and Johnson (2015) served as the conceptual framework for the study. An online questionnaire was distributed across China and completed by willing participants. Qualtrics, a reputable international market research platform, used their extensive database of consumers for sampling purposes and managed to collect 526 completed and usable questionnaires. All participants had visited South Africa in the last five years or have the intention of visiting in the next five years. Both males and females were included in the study provided that they fell into the millennial generational cohort as of the year 2019 (born between 1979 and 2000). Data analysis was achieved through exploratory factor analysis and the calculation of the Cronbach alpha coefficients and eigenvalues. The outcome of the factor analysis for the sample identified three factors instead of the four factors proposed by the original Wiedmann, Hennigs and Siebels (2007) scale, namely “Pleasure”, “Others” and “Financial”. It seems that the Chinese millennials in this study considered everything that exotic leather accessories can do for them on a functional an individual level as one concept, named “Pleasure”. Additionally, respondents indicated that the “Pleasure” value perception was also the most important to them. Social items of the original scale loaded on the “Others” factor and although a little less important than the “Pleasure” factor, it is particularly important to the respondents in this study to know what others think of people who use certain exotic leather accessories. Finally, Financial items of the original scale loaded on the respondents’ “Financial” factor, which was considered to be the least important for the respondents in this study. A repeated measures ANOVA was performed to investigate whether the sample differed with regard to their perceptions of the factors “Pleasure”, “Others” and “Financial”. Post hoc analyses showed that there were significant differences with regard to all pairwise comparisons. The highest score was obtained on Pleasure, followed by Financial and Others. The outcome of the factor analysis for the sample’s perception of the luxuriousness of the four different sustainability-labels identified one identical factor for each of the four labels, instead of the five factors of the revised Kim and Johnson (2015) scale. The factor was named “Luxuriousness”. A repeated measures ANOVA was performed to investigate whether the sample differed with regard to the respondents’ perceptions of the luxuriousness between the four labels, however post hoc analyses revealed no significant differences with regard to any pairwise comparison. The outcome of the factor analysis for the sample’s purchasing intent, based on Spears and Singh’s (2004) scale indicated that the respondents had in all four cases a very strong purchasing intent for the sustainable exotic accessories, with only small differences between the four differently labelled exotic leather accessories. A repeated measures ANOVA was performed to investigate whether the sample differed with regard to their purchase intentions for the four labels. Post hoc analyses showed that there was a statistically significant difference between respondents’ purchase intent for Label 2 and Label 4, as well as a statistically significant difference between respondents’ purchase intent for Label 3 and Label 4. Respondents’ purchase intentions for both Labels 2 and 3 were therefore significantly higher than their purchase intent for Label 4. According to the results, there were statistically highly significant strong, positive correlations between the respondents’ most important Pleasure luxury value perception and their Purchase Intent for all four labels. Therefore, the more important the Pleasure luxury value perception becomes, the stronger becomes the respondents’ Purchase Intent for all four sustainability labelled accessories. Results of this study make positive contributions for various role players within the exotic leather industry. Manufacturers, retailers and marketers can all benefit from the results of the study. Recommendations for industry and future research are made. / Dissertation (MConsumer Science)--University of Pretoria, 2019. / Consumer Science / MConsumer Science / Unrestricted

This study explored South African female consumers’ value perceptions as well as their needs for traceable information on exotic crocodile leather accessories. The Wiedmann, Hennigs and Siebels' Luxury Value Perception Scale (2007) and the Consumer Decision-making Process (Solomon & Rabolt, 2004:354) served as conceptual framework for the study. A questionnaire was distributed across South Africa and completed by willing participants. All participants were South African citizens, females of varyin g cultural backgrounds, including: African, Caucasian, Indian, Asian and Coloured individuals. The Consulta Research (Pty) Ltd used their extensive database of female consumers for sampling purposes. They managed to collect three hundred and thirty seven (337) completed and usable questionnaires. The Spearman's Correlation Coefficient, descriptive statistics, as well as exploratory factor analysis were used for data analysis. The results indicate that respondents to this questionnaire were not willing to pay marketrelated prices for exotic crocodile leather accessories. Findings of this study uncovered five luxury value perceptions as opposed to the four originally recognised by Wiedmann et al. (2007), namely Functional, Social, Financial, Individual gifts and Individual pleasure value perceptions. Of these luxury value perceptions, respondents indicated that the functional value perception was the most important to them. Traceable intrinsic and extrinsic-related attributes which can have an impact on decision-making by consumers were also explored. Results indicate that respondents found intrinsic-related attributes moderately important when deciding to purchase an exotic crocodile leather accessory. With regard to extrinsic-related product attributes, results indicate that most respondents found these extrinsic-related attributes moderately important. The notable exception was the position brand-holders held on child labour, which was indicated as important by most respondents. Results further indicated weak-positive, but statistically highly significant relationships between functional value perceptions and the importance of intrinsic-related as well as extrinsic-related information. Weak-positive, but statistically highly significant relationships were also conversely found between financial value perceptions and the importance of intrinsic and extrinsic-related information. There was a weak but statistically highly significant relationship between the individual giftvalue perception and the importance of extrinsic-related information as well as, conversely, a weak-positive statistically significant relationship between individual gift-value perceptions and the importance of intrinsic-related information. Purchase intent is an important determinant when consumers make decisions. Research results for this study have, however, indicated that respondents had a weak purchase intent for exotic crocodile leather accessories. Most respondents reported that they would never, at any time, buy an exotic crocodile leather accessory. Neither would they at some stage have the intention to buy an exotic crocodile leather accessory, or have a purchase interest for an exotic crocodile leather accessory. Finally, results show that there was a weak-positive, but statistically highly significant relationship between the importance of extrinsic-related product attributes and purchase intent. Results of this study make positive contributions towards the decision-making of various role players within the exotic crocodile leather accessory industry. Role players such as farmers, manufacturers, distributers, retailers and marketers can all benefit from the results. Based on the results of this study, recommendations for industry and future research are made. / Dié studie ondersoek Suid-Afrikaanse vroueverbruikers se waardepersepsies asook hul behoeftes aan navolgbare inligting oor eksotiese krokodilleerbykomstighede. Die Wiedmann, Hennigs and Siebels's Luxury Value Perception Scale (2007) en The Consumer Decisionmaking Process (Solomon & Rabolt, 2004:354) dien as die konseptuele raamwerk vir dié studie. 'n Vraelys is dwarsoor Suid-Afrika versprei en voltooi deur vrywillige deelnemers. Alle respondente was Suid-Afrikaanse burgers, vroue van 'n verskeidenheid etniese herkomste, waarby ingesluit: Afrikaan, Kaukasiese, Indiese, en kleurlingindividue. Consulta Research (Pty) Ltd het van hul uitgebereide databasis van vroueverbruikers in hul steekproef gebruik gemaak. Hulle het daarin geslaag drie om honderd sewe en dertig (337) voltooide en bruikbare vraelyste te bekom. Die Spearman’s Correlation Coefficient se beskrywende statistiek en oorsigtelike faktore-ontleding is gebruik in die data-analiese. Die bevindings dui daarop dat respondente op die vraelys nié bereid is om markverwante pryse te betaal vir eksotiese krokodilleer-bykomstighede nie. Verdere bevindings in dié studie het vyf luukse waardepersies blootgelê, teenoor die vier aangedui deur Wiedmann et al. (2007), naamlik: Funksionele, Sosiale, Finansiële, Individuele geskenke, en Individuele plesierwaardepersepsies. Van dié luuksewaardepersepsies het respondente aangedui dat die funksionele waardepersepsie vir hulle die belangrikste is. Opspoorbare en navolgbare intrinsieke of ekstrinsieke eienskappe wat 'n invloed kan hê op die besluitnemening deur verbruikers was matig-belangrik in die besluitproses vir die aankoop van 'n eksotiese krokodilleerbykomstigheid. Met betrekking tot ekstrinsieke produkeienskappe, dui resultate daarop dat respondente grootliks hierdie ekstrinsieke eieskappe ook as matig-belangrik geag het. Die opmerklike uitsondering is beleidstandpunte wat handelsmerkeienaars ten opsigte van kinderarbeid handhaaf en wat as belangrik deur respondente bejeën is. Resultate dui verder daarop dat swak-positiewe, maar 'n statisties hoogs belangrike verband bestaan tussen fuksionele waardepersepsies en intrinsiek-verwante asook ekstrinsiekeverwante beskouings. Verder is ook aangedui dat hoogs belangrike verbande tussen finaniële waardepersepsies, individuele geskenkwaardepersepsies en die belangrikheid van intrinsieke en ekstrinsieke inligting teenwoordig is. Daar was 'n swak, maar hoogs belangrike verband tussen die indivuele geskenkwaardepersepsie en die belangrikheid van ekstrinsieke-verwante inligting asook die omgekeerde statisties-belangrike, swak-positiewe verband tussen individuele geskenkwaardepersepsies en die belangrikheid van intrinsiek-verwante inligting word beklemtoon. Die aankoopvoorneme is 'n belangrike oorweging in verbruikers se besluitneming. Resultate in hierdie studie, dui egter daarop dat verbruikers 'n swak aankoopvoorneme vir eksotiese krokodilleerbykomstighede het. 'n Meerderheid van die respondente het aangedui dat hulle nooit 'n bykomstigheid van krokodilleer sal koop nie. Verder sal hulle in geen stadium enige voorneme koester om 'n krokoldilleerbykomstigheid aan te skaf of belangstel om só 'n produk te bekom nie. Laastens dui resultate op 'n swak-positiewe, maar statisties hoogsbetekenisvolle verband tussen die belangrikheid van ekstrinsieke produkeieskappe en koopvoorneme. Resulate van dié studie maak 'n positiewe bydrae tot die besluitneming van verskeie rolspelers binne die eksotiese krokodilleer-industrie. Rolspelers soos boere, vervaardigers, verspreiders, handelaars en bemarkers kan almal baat vind by dié bevindings. Sleutelwoorde: Vroueverbruiker van luukse bykomstighede; industrie vir luukse krolodilleerbykomstighede; luuksewaardepersepsies; intrinsieke produkeienskappe; ekstrinsieke produkeienskappe; aankoopvoorneme. / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2017. / Consumer Science / MConsumer Science / Unrestricted