Studying Customer Buying Behaviour Regarding Luxury Goods In Company Marks & Spencer

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would first like to express my gratitude for my research supervisor, colleagues, peers and family whose immense and constant support has been a source of continuous guidance and inspiration.

DECLARATION

I [type your full first names & surname here], declare that the following dissertation/thesis and its entire content has been an individual, unaided effort and has not been submitted or published before. Furthermore, it reflects my opinion and take on the topic and is does not represent the opinion of the University.

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ABSTRACT

The major actors involved in shaping consumer behavior are consumers themselves, alongside states and businesses (together with advertisers and marketing consultants). The first actor, the consumer, is an individual who professes or exhibits a concern for the environment in his or her consumption activities. Although states, businesses, and other organizations are major consumers in their own right, scholarly research into consumer behavior normally focuses on individuals. The brand awareness is an important perspective that has also been adopted by the companies producing branded luxury items in the apparel industry of the world market. The companies have been paying due attention of other variables that attract the customers towards their brand. The first chapter provides introduction to the topic, followed by literature review in the second chapter. Methodology is presented in the third chapter while the fourth chapter presents findings and analysis of the data. The fifth chapter concludes the dissertation, while providing summary, implications, and recommendations for future research.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTI

DECLARATIONII

ABSTRACTIII

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION1

Background of the Research1

Problem Statement3

Aims and Objectives3

Research Questions3

Rationale of the Study4

Significance of the Study5

Ethical Considerations6

Limitations of Research7

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW8

About Marks and Spencer8

Luxury Brands9

Buying Behaviour of Consumers for Luxury goods10

Buying Process11

Factors affecting Consumer Behaviour14

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY21

Overview of Research Approach21

Overview of qualitative and quantitative research approaches22

Research method and design appropriateness23

Instrument24

Literature Search24

Data analysis25

Data organisation28

Participants29

Informed Consent29

Confidentiality30

CHAPTER 4: DATA ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS31

Analysis of the Survey Questionnaire31

Findings of the Research Study31

Fashion as identity expression32

Summary43

Ease of use of the luxury items43

Customer retention and loyalty43

Different Factors affecting Consumer Behaviour towards luxury items44

CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION46

Summary46

Implications of the Study47

Recommendations for Future Research49

Conclusion49

REFERENCES51

APPENDIX56

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Background of the Research

The study of consumers and brand perception about designer clothing was originated within economics, but since the 1960s it has become a discipline in its own right, drawing on theories and methods from psychology, sociology and anthropology as well as semiotics and literary theory. The majority of studies of consumer brand perception have addressed it at the individual level, often using experimental methods to explore cognition. More recent approaches have moved to the socio-cultural level and drawn on contemporary social theory. In parallel with this development, there has been a shift away from positivist assumptions about reality towards interpretive approaches based on the idea of the social construction of reality (Alhakmi, 2008, 1096). Arguably, it was just six years ago when social media hit the mainstream.

This is probably why many professionals, academics and students debate whether social media and its various elements (such as blogs, social networking sites ...