Determinants of purchasing intention for fashion luxury goods in the Italian market: A laddering approach

Purpose ‐ The purpose of this paper is to investigate the latent determinants of the purchasing intention for fashion luxury goods. Design/methodology/approach ‐ A total of 40 in-depth interviews were conducted with Italian customers in a fashion luxury goods store in Italy. Qualitative research was employed in data collection using the laddering technique and the means-end chain (MEC) analysis. Findings ‐ Results showed that consumers buy luxury fashion goods mainly to match their lifestyle, thus satisfying their inner drives. The hierarchical value map resulting from the data collection and elaboration demonstrates that self-confidence and self-fulfillment are the main hidden final values when buying and consuming luxury goods. Implications for marketers are related to tailoring products, brand values and communication messages to the subjective, self-rewarding and "internalized" consumption sought after by consumers. Originality/value ‐ The contribution of the paper is based on the use of the laddering technique and the means-end chain (MEC) analysis for investigating latent determinants of purchase intention for fashion luxury goods. Moreover, the paper examines this topic in the Italian market, which represents a relevant instance of mature market for fashion luxury goods.