Productos de higiene básicos considerados lujo: Un estudio en población base de la pirámide económica en Colombia

The objective of this study was to explore the influence of personal effects (hedonic, perfectionism), interpersonal (snob, bandwagon, Veblen) and materialism on the intention to buy basic hygiene products considered luxury by people at the base of the economic pyramid. Quantitative cross-sectional research was carried out through a structured questionnaire. The data were analyzed by structural equations modeling (SEM), obtaining optimal adjustment indices. 248 people between 18 and 72 years old from the base of the pyramid, residing in Bogotá (Colombia), participated. The findings suggest that the consumption of hygiene products considered luxury is motivated by the feeling of well-being, pleasant experiences, and positive emotions, as well as by the satisfaction they generate; and there is no influence on the perception of quality, the need for demonstration, differentiation, or membership in a group. The findings of this study are novel and on the one hand allow us to understand that the consumption of luxury products in the base population of the pyramid is not anchored only to the study of non-essential sumptuous products, and on the other hand it shows that its functionality is not limited to demonstration or aspirational consumption, as has traditionally been studied. The implications for academia and industry of the findings are discussed.