An exploratory study of Thai consumers’ perceptions of “conspicuousness” : a case of luxury handbags

Purpose: This paper aims to examine consumer perceptions of conspicuousness of purchasing of luxury goods in Thailand. Design/methodology/approach: This study applies a quantitative approach, based on a survey data collected on the internet. The data set was analyzed with structural equation modeling focusing on three latent factors: “Social”, “Personal” and “Conspicuous” value perceptions. Findings: The result indicates that “Conspicuous” value does not have a significant impact on their purchasing intentions, which is a contradiction to the previous understanding that Asian consumers are inclined to behave conspicuously from the collectivist cultural context. This finding casts an implication for marketers in the relevant industry and the field of study for inconspicuous consumer behavior. Research limitations/implications: This research outcome should be expanded to develop more robust implications for the relevant marketers and researchers. In doing so, another investigation based on a bigger data set with more samples would be required. Originality/value: This study indicates that Thai consumers do not behave from the conspicuous perceptions, which has been believed in the Asian context of consumer behavior. This finding suggests a new paradigm for discussion is required to understand Asian consumer attitudes in more depth especially their perceptions of conspicuous and inconspicuous views.