Does uniqueness of India’s consumption context guide luxury motivations? An interpretive enquiry

Purpose Consumption, like other social phenomena, is difficult to extract from its context and must be deciphered and decoded within it. An interpretive inquiry is hence made to understand luxury consumption motivations within the context of marketplace – India. Design/methodology/approach Qualitative data from depth interviews (n = 25) and open-ended questionnaires (n = 17) were thematically analyzed to interpret the influence of context on luxury consumption motivations. Findings In total, 11 motivations (out of 14 identified in this study) revealed a deep anchoring in 5 distinct aspects of the consumption context, e.g. value-for-money mindset of Indian consumers and the entry of women in professional spaces. Research limitations/implications This study underscores the significance of context and interpretive inquiry for understanding consumption, highlighting the need for more such enquires. Practical implications The study, informs marketers of the strong connection between context and consumption. Hopefully they will design context-specific strategies and find success in new, unfamiliar markets. Social implications Strong affiliation between luxury, power and economic advancement may fuel aspirational luxury consumption among the neo-rich and economically vulnerable consumers, especially in emerging economies where disparities are significant. Originality/value Uniqueness of the study lies in revealing the interconnectedness between motivations and marketplace context through an interpretive inquiry. The link between the two has not been similarly examined before. By offering a rich and insightful understanding of “why” consumers purchase luxury, the study shines the spotlight on qualitative techniques, underscoring their importance in a world dominated by artificial intelligence, bigdata and quantitative techniques.